Barcelona 4
Neymar 22’, 53’, Suarez 41’, Messi 90+1’
Real Sociedad 0
The brilliant front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar again were the story of the match after Barca enjoyed a second 4-0 win against one of Spain’s Royal teams in a week.
Madrid were vanquished last week, Sociedad on Saturday night as the players known as the “Trident” scored all the goals. They will be the names expected to feature among the Ballon d’Or finalists when the shortlist is released on Monday, yet both Barca’s first two goals came via Daniel Alves crosses.
The Brazilian, 32, was set to leave Barcelona last season. Out of contract in June 2015, he refused to sign extensions offered by the club he would served so well since joining from Sevilla in 2008.
He turned down moves to Chelsea and was expected to go to Paris Saint-Germain and earn a final huge contract. Alves refused to comment on speculation, even singing into the microphones of reporters who approached him at Barcelona airport.
As the season drew towards a glorious conclusion, manager Luis Enrique kept saying how much he wanted Alves to stay.
His teammates did the same, yet Alves was convinced of enemies within the club who wanted him out.
“There was a campaign to get rid of me, but I’m strong and I insist that when people compete with me, they will lose,” he said this week.
“I am so dedicated, so passionate and that counts for more than what crazy people throw at me. If people want to know my history, put my name in Google, because Google seems to be more intelligent than some people.”
Two days after winning the treble in Berlin, Barca announced agreement with Alves.
His form has been excellent this term, his attacking instincts never blunted. Of all the assists in Spain’s Primera Liga in the past decade, only Messi set up more goals than Alves’s 95. The Brazilian has assisted more than Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.
He is popular in Barca’s dressing room, an outlandishly dressed fun factory who gets serious on the pitch when he converts into a one-man right wing.
With wide men Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal unable to play until January and Sergi Roberto switched into a right-back by Luis Enrique, Barca needed Alves.
He was effective in the 4-0 triumph at the Bernabeu last week and delighted in speaking to the media on Monday, though he still refused to speak to Madrid-based newspapers Marca and AS.
The man who encouraged Neymar to Camp Nou was outstanding for an hour against the Basques on Saturday night, setting up Neymar for the opening goal with a low cross after being set up himself by an impudent flick from Messi after 21 minutes.
Four minutes before half time, Alves crossed again from the right, this time a high ball towards the box which Luis Suarez volleyed down and into the net from 15 yards.
The crowd of 74,020 shouted: “Suarez! Suarez!” But they were just as vocal when Alves became the first of three quick substitutions after 61 minutes.
Among the fans were the confederation of Barcelona Supporters’ clubs who voted Alves into their best Barcelona XI two days before the match.
Alves is often overlooked – he made that point himself – because of the feted attackers in front of him, yet he has been integral to some of Barca’s greatest recent moments.
Andres Iniesta’s dramatic late goal in the 2009 Uefa Champions League semi-final came from an Alves ball. Six years on, he has still got it.
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
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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.”
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The years Ramadan fell in May
