Incredible Manchester City complete treble with Champions League win

Manchester City fulfilled their long-held dream of winning Europe's top prize as Rodri helped the Premier League and FA Cup winners beat Inter Milan to lift the Champions League title and complete an incredible treble.

Pep Guardiola's team prevailed 1-0 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul in an epic contest that at one point seemed to be slipping away.

After a slow start to the game, City suffered a crushing blow 10 minutes before half-time when playmaker Kevin De Bruyne was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

The Belgian tried to play on but was replaced by Phil Foden.

The match seemed to be headed towards extra time when City claimed the lead in the 68th minute with a fine strike from Rodri.

Manuel Akanji played Bernardo Silva into the area and his cut-back was deflected into the path of Rodri, who passed the ball into the net from just inside the box.

It completed a treble for City, making them only the second English club to secure it after Manchester United in 1999.

Victory seemed a long way away when City's talisman walked off the pitch due to injury. De Bruyne was expected to be the heartbeat of City on Saturday but there was only more Champions League final misery; he left the field with a facial injury during City's loss to Chelsea two years ago.

In the second half, Inter started to assert themselves and looked dangerous.

City had a reprieve just before the hour when Akanji reacted slowly to a Silva pass and Lautaro Martinez charged into the box. Former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku was well placed in the centre but Martinez opted to shoot and Ederson countered his effort.

City made the most of the let-off and took the lead moments after a John Stones cross was deflected close to his own goal by Alessandro Bastoni.

Akanji found Silva and his cutback fell to Rodri, who found the back of the net.

City fans were given a scare moments later when Federico Dimarco hit the bar with a looping header and then headed against Lukaku on the rebound.

Foden had a chance to put City in full control when he burst through a gap into the area but Andre Onana was up to the task.

City survived a late scare when a Lukaku header hit Ederson's legs and was put behind by Ruben Dias and the final whistle was greeted by grand celebrations.

Goalscorer Rodri got emotional as he reflected on a tense match in Turkey.

He told BT Sport: “I'm emotional. This is a dream come true. All these guys around here have been waiting I don't know how many years, 20, 30 40. I've been here just four years, but they deserve it, we deserve it.

“It wasn't easy. What a team we faced, unbelievable they way they defend, the way they counter-attack, they also deserve credit.

“But I don't want to forget about my lads. We did everything.”

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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While you're here

Khaled Al Qubaisi: Ties between India and the UAE will boost investor confidence

Rebecca Bundhun: Will India's new farm laws cause farmers economic pain?

Neil Murphy: Britain must ‘double down’ on post-Brexit ties with India

Rebecca Bundhun: India needs to address its unemployment crisis

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Things Heard & Seen

Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton

2/5

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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