• France forwards Kylian Mbappe, left, and Antoine Griezmann attend a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on September 20, 2022 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming Uefa Nations League fixtures. AFP
    France forwards Kylian Mbappe, left, and Antoine Griezmann attend a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on September 20, 2022 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming Uefa Nations League fixtures. AFP
  • France's forward Olivier Giroud, left, shares a joke with goalkeeper Alban Lafont. AFP
    France's forward Olivier Giroud, left, shares a joke with goalkeeper Alban Lafont. AFP
  • France defenders Benoit Badiashile, William Saliba, Adrien Truffert and forward Randal Kolo Munani during training. France face Austria at Stade de France on Friday before travelling to Denmark on Sunday. AFP
    France defenders Benoit Badiashile, William Saliba, Adrien Truffert and forward Randal Kolo Munani during training. France face Austria at Stade de France on Friday before travelling to Denmark on Sunday. AFP
  • France defender Benoit Badiashile controls the ball. AFP
    France defender Benoit Badiashile controls the ball. AFP
  • Kylian Mbappe attends a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yveline. AFP
    Kylian Mbappe attends a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yveline. AFP
  • France forward Randal Kolo Munani, goalkeeper Alban Lafont, defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Youssouf Fofana. AFP
    France forward Randal Kolo Munani, goalkeeper Alban Lafont, defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Youssouf Fofana. AFP
  • Antoine Griezmann, left, high-fives Kylian Mbappe. AFP
    Antoine Griezmann, left, high-fives Kylian Mbappe. AFP
  • France midfielder Youssouf Fofan, centre, watches the ball. AFP
    France midfielder Youssouf Fofan, centre, watches the ball. AFP
  • France head coach Didier Deschamps speaks with his staff. AFP
    France head coach Didier Deschamps speaks with his staff. AFP
  • France players attends a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines. AFP
    France players attends a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines. AFP
  • France forward Ousmane Dembele jokes with Kylian Mbappe. AFP
    France forward Ousmane Dembele jokes with Kylian Mbappe. AFP
  • France head coach Didier Deschamps. AFP
    France head coach Didier Deschamps. AFP
  • France forward Olivier Giroud, left, during training. AFP
    France forward Olivier Giroud, left, during training. AFP
  • France forward Kylian Mbappe controls the ball. AFP
    France forward Kylian Mbappe controls the ball. AFP
  • France forward Kylian Mbappe smiles next to head coach Didier Deschamps. AFP
    France forward Kylian Mbappe smiles next to head coach Didier Deschamps. AFP
  • Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe. AFP
    Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe. AFP

Sport

Football

Kylian Mbappe smiles but not for the camera after refusing to take part in team photoshoot

France striker is involved in a row with the French Football Federation that risks damaging squad morale

Steve Luckings
Steve Luckings

September 21, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Just two months before France begin their defence of the World Cup, the mood around the team is in stark contrast to the celebrations that followed their win over Croatia in the 2018 final.

The clouds have been gathering over coach Didier Deschamps and his squad as key players struggle with injuries and personal problems.

Meanwhile the French Football Federation (FFF) is locked in a row over image rights with its biggest star and its president faces accusations of inappropriate behaviour.

It all threatens to derail France's campaign in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe — a goalscorer in the 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia — is involved in a row with the FFF that risks damaging squad morale.

On Monday, their get-together at the chateau of Clairefontaine, an hour's drive from Paris, was overshadowed by the Paris Saint-Germain striker's refusal to participate in a photo shoot because of the FFF's unwillingness to modify an agreement regarding players' image rights.

Mbappe has boycotted a shoot before, and on Monday the federation responded quickly, promising to "revise as soon as possible the agreement".

Mbappe's representatives insisted the matter "obviously does not call into question his total commitment and determination to contribute to the collective success of the national team".

Meanwhile, the FFF's veteran 80-year-old president is in the firing line.

Noel Le Graet was last week summoned to a meeting with the country's Sports Minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera. The government then announced it was launching an audit of the federation.

That came after So Foot magazine published accusations that the FFF suffered from organisational problems and that some former employees had alleged they had not been treated properly.

One accusation is that Le Graet sent text messages of a salacious nature to female employees.

The federation has launched legal action against the magazine.

Le Graet has denied the allegations and told Le Monde newspaper this month that "there aren't any text messages".

"It's not the calmest atmosphere that I have known," admitted Deschamps.

France are in Uefa Nations League action on Thursday when they host Austria at Stade de France before travelling to face Denmark on Sunday.

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

While you're here
Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

RESULTS

Argentina 4 Haiti 0

Peru 2 Scotland 0

Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

MATCH DETAILS

Chelsea 4 

Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)

Ajax 4

Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55) 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

While you're here

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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.”

Remaining fixtures

Third-place-play-off: Portugal v Mexico, 4pm on Sunday

Final: Chile v Germany, 10pm on Sunday

Updated: September 21, 2022, 8:16 AM
FranceKylian Mbappe