This time last year Rio Ferdinand sat in the dressing room after Manchester United's Champions League triumph and pledged with his teammates they would enjoy the magical moment again.
For Moscow, read Rome, the opposition is Barcelona not Chelsea, but that same silver cup is the prize within reach tonight.
Ferdinand says the emotions of the United players after the penalty shoot-out success against Chelsea encapsulated why his club are now the dominant force in English and European football - and the players were already planning their return to the final.
"When you looked around the changing room, it was telling that people were thinking about it," he said. "Now we are only one step away from getting back to where we were last year. It was a dream to come back, but it's become a reality because of the players and the people I have got around me.
"When I was a kid growing up I would set myself targets for the next season. That is the way I am now and you can't be any different at this club. The past has shown that anyone who rests on their laurels here or thinks that they don't need to achieve anything else hasn't tended to be around very long. If they are in that mind frame then they are gone.
"We want to be part of a team that goes down in the history of this club."
Ferdinand, 30, is desperate to play his part at the Stadio Olimpico with a calf injury unlikely to prevent him lining up against the Spanish champions. He admits he does not like watching his team from the sidelines - nor does he want to suffer the same heartache as the Chelsea players did last May.
"To lose a game in the Premier League and even in training is a killer," he said. "I've lost FA Cup finals and semi-finals, so I know what it feels like to lose, but the magnitude of this - the European Cup final - is huge. You don't get many opportunities in finals like this, so I'd like to think we do not taste what it's like to lose.
"I don't care how the game goes. It would be nice if it was a great game with loads of skill and stuff, loads of goals for us, but at the end of the day people don't remember it for being a great final. People remember the winners."
Ferdinand added: "As long as my team are winning I couldn't care less. When I lose, my mum and dad can't get hold of me for days; I won't speak to them.
"They will text me and say that they know I am upset, but just want to say hello. I just won't have it; I am just a bad loser.
"I can't help it. It was like watching the Wigan game [the 2-1 away victory in United's penultimate game of the season]. They scored first and all their fans were turning round and giving it this and that towards where we were sitting.
"Then we scored and I was, like, the loudest person in the directors' box. So when we scored the second goal I just got up and left.
"I had to because if I had gone nuts and they had scored again I would have been so embarrassed. So I just went straight out, got in my car and drove home. I kept the radio off and texted one of my mates to see if we had held on and won. I am a bad watcher, a bad loser, the lot. I am getting worse because the stakes are so high. Every game we play here is a pressure situation."
Victory tonight and it will mean four trophies for United this season. But, apart from a loss on penalties in the FA Cup semi- final with a weakened side against Everton, they have stood up to every major test.
Defensively, United have shown their mettle when it matters most and their attack, led by the pace of Cristiano Ronaldo, has the ability to tear any team apart.
Ferdinand says: "Against high-class opposition like Barcelona, there's no room for six or seven out of 10. We've all got to be playing at our peak to make sure we get a result.
"But I think in the massive games, when the pressure's on and it's the be-all and end-all, we've produced and hopefully we can achieve that again this time.
"Porto away [1-0 in the quarter- final] was a huge result, we knew we needed to keep a clean sheet.
"Arsenal home and away were big performances defensively, not just the back four, but the whole team and that's been the key. If we can do that, we know we've got the players who can score.
"I think we are the best counter-attack team in the world. Barcelona will be wary of it. They will know that if they have loads of possession then they had better do something with it because if they don't, we can punish them."
@Email:akhan@thenational.ae
Manchester United v Barcelona, KO 10.45pm, ART Prime Sports and ART Sport 4
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.”
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The%20specs
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