On the overall balance of a year spent in steady decline, Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at Sevilla on Tuesday counts as a dignified end to 2021. Sevilla, after all, are currently the leading challengers to Real Madrid’s pace-setting pursuit of the Spanish league title.
Against clubs with that sort of competitive authority, Barca have been in the regular habit of quaking. In the last 12 months, they have lost two clasicos to Real Madrid, lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid, and built up a hefty catalogue of defeats by three-goal margins against heavyweights in Europe - two 3-0 losses to Bayern Munich, a 4-1 home beating from Paris Saint-Germain.
That’s on the pitch. Off it? Too many setbacks to list alongside the exit of Lionel Messi, the suffocating debt, the sad, enforced retirement of Sergio Aguero with cardiac problems.
The encouraging signposts to a better 2022 are to be found in the number of fresh Barcelona faces barely touched by the dreary fatalism that a poor year spread across the senior squad.
Against Sevilla, much of the vigour was supplied by two teenagers, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, by the young Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli who reached the age of 20 only last week, and by a pair of 22-year-olds, Ferran Jutgla and Ronald Araujo. Four of those five have made their first-team debuts within the last four months.
Gavi, a midfielder of bristling energy and disciplined passing, has risen so rapidly he has already been promoted to the senior Spain national team; he, Nico and Abde have clear assigned roles under new head coach Xavi Hernandez. Jutgla will soon be on first-name terms - plain Ferran - to the fans if he continues the very strong impression he has made since his debut less than two weeks ago.
Jutgla scored on his first start, the 3-2 win at the weekend against Elche; he showed no reluctance to unleash shots, from all distances, against a compact Sevilla defence in his second start.
He is part of a list that bodes well for a club who have said goodbye to so many experienced, reliable goalscorers - Messi, Aguero, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez - in the last 18 months. In their last three Liga matches, the six Barca goals have been scored by Gavi, 17; 19-year-old Nico - twice - and Abde, Jutgla and Araujo.
So strong is this youthful breeze that Xavi found himself exasperated by a little-known Spanish league rule that stipulates every top-flight team must have on the pitch at all times at least seven players registered only with the senior squad.
So many of those whom Xavi has promoted and backed in the month or so since he replaced Ronald Koeman began the season assigned to the Barca B, he has run a risk of having more than four of them in action, potentially risking forfeiting a fixture.
“It’s a rather stupid rule,” said Xavi, “but presumably it’s there for games late in the season" when clubs with nothing at stake might field weakened teams, to blood young players, and risk giving opponents with much at stake an easier match. "But from the point of view of developing players it’s closing off their progression.”
Barca expect to assign roles in the first-team squad to some of the recently-promoted players in January, when the opening of the transfer window allows.
One footballer at the opposite end of his career will also have his name added to the roster. Dani Alves, 38, has been training with Barcelona for several weeks, on the understanding that he, out of contract since he left Sao Paulo in September, would in January make a fairytale return.
He represented Barcelona for eight years until 2016, accumulating in dazzling Barca sides many of his 43 career trophies. His most recent was the gold medal as one of Brazil’s over-aged players at the Tokyo Olympics.
The combination of Alves’ leadership and the youthful promise of so-called ‘Baby Barcelona’ - a nickname that will seem even more appropriate when Pedri and Ansu Fati, both 19, return from injury lay-offs next month - enthuses Xavi.
“I’m proud of the team. It’s competing, and it’s improving, and that’s the right path,” he said after the draw with Sevilla, who had been reduced to 10 men for the last half hour following Jules Kounde’s flash-of-temper red card for throwing the ball into the face of Jordi Alba. “But I’m not pleased with the result.”
Barcelona, eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage this season, are still shy of the top four berth that would qualify them for next season’s edition of the main European competition. Without that, some of those talented youngsters may feel more tempted to consider a future elsewhere.
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI