Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin says Spain call-up for Euro 2016 is better than any holiday

Spain v Czech Republic, Monday, 5pm (UAE time), beIN Sports

Hector Bellerin was more than happy to put his holiday on hold just to join up with Spain's training squad for the European Championships and after an injury to Dani Carvajal opened the door to a late call-up the 21-year-old is keen to make his mark.

The Arsenal full back was brought into the squad after Real Madrid defender Carvajal picked up an injury in the Uefa Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid last month.

Bellerin made his senior Spain debut in a 3-1 friendly win over Bosnia in May and enjoyed a strong season with his club Arsenal, where Czech Republic internationals Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky played.

“I was about to head off on holiday for the summer when one of my family phoned me,” he said. “They told me that [Spain coach] Vicente del Bosque had announced in a news conference that I’d be training with the group.”

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“To be with a provisional squad, instead of on vacation, was already a massive honour.

“But after the misfortune Dani Carvajal had in the Champions League final, the boss said that I’d be his replacement. Well, if you’d asked me a few weeks ago if this were possible I’d not have believed you.”

Spain open their Group D campaign against the Czechs in Toulouse later on Monday and Bellerin said his side would have to be wary of Cech and Rosicky, who was released by Arsenal last week after 10 years at the club.

“Petr, for us at Arsenal, is one of the most immense pluses we could have had this season. He’s got the Premier League record for clean sheets,” Bellerin added.

“He makes you feel safer with him behind you. He’ll be as important for the Czech Republic.

“Tomas is one of the most intelligent players around ... His intelligence, his ability to find space and his crossing definitely make him one of the players we have to fear.

“Rosicky orchestrates the midfield and he’s a great player who’s quick on the ball and really clever, so we know we have to be very wary of him.”

Spain also face Turkey in Nice on June 17 before playing Croatia in Bordeaux four days later.

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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.

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Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin says Spain call-up for Euro 2016 is better than any holiday

The Arsenal full back was about to go on vacation before he was brought into the squad after Real Madrid defender Carvajal picked up an injury in the Uefa Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid last month.

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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

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46

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50

3,000

1.1 million

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Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin says Spain call-up for Euro 2016 is better than any holiday

The Arsenal full back was about to go on vacation before he was brought into the squad after Real Madrid defender Carvajal picked up an injury in the Uefa Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid last month.

Jetour T1 specs

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

COMPANY%20PROFILE

Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

Specs

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

46

1,000

50

3,000

1.1 million

Dubai Bling season three

World Mental Health Day

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The view from The National

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