When Erling Haaland became the youngest, fastest man to 20 Uefa Champions League goals, he was angry. The landmark had been briefly postponed, his pride had been hurt, and his ears were burning.
The occasion, only Haaland’s 14th game in football’s principal club competition, was the second leg of a last-16 tie at his then club Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla the visitors. Dortmund were awarded a penalty to extend their aggregate lead to 5-2. It set up a heavyweight duel: hotshot Haaland against spot-kick specialist Yassine "Bono" Bounou.
The Norwegian, with a studied pause in his run up, aimed low to the Moroccan goalkeeper’s left. Bono parried on to the post, Haaland sprang to the rebound, and Bono saved again, brilliantly. But there was a follow-up – a roared remark from Bono right into the face of the 20-year-old Haaland. And still more follow-up when referee Cuneyt Cakir ordered the penalty be retaken because Bono had advanced a stride off his goalline.
Haaland, at the second attempt, again struck his effort low to the goalkeeper’s left. This time it worked. This time, he was roaring, barking the same word – the "jinx" phrase, "Kiricocho", that football folklore says will put off an opponent – at Bono that the keeper had shouted at Haaland. The episode went viral. It added to the piquant rivalry the phenomenal Haaland has built up with Sevilla.
Haaland’s Manchester City meet the Spanish club in Piraeus on Wednesday in the Uefa Super Cup, a novel date for City as first-time Champions League holders, but very familiar for Sevilla, whose seven triumphs this century in the Uefa Cup or Europa League mean they have become regulars.
Competitive in it, too. Sevilla have taken the contest into extra time in their last three such finals, against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
To the relief of City manager Pep Guardiola, ahead of an evening forecast to be hot and humid, there will be no extra-time in this one, Uefa having adjusted the format so that the outcome will be settled directly with penalties if, after 90 minutes, it is a draw.
It is a small mercy for Guardiola, who has expressed his concerns at the extra workload his Treble winners face. Their status as European champions obliges them to take part in both the Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup in December.
Defeat Sevilla and they would remain on course for five trophies in the calendar year. And no opponent in European competition stimulates Haaland, now on 35 goals from 30 Champions League fixtures, quite like Sevilla, who lost that 2020-21 tie 5-4 in the end, Haaland scoring twice for Dortmund in each leg.
He then made his City debut in Europe at Sevilla last September. He registered another brace in a 4-0 win. Three meetings; six goals.
The most recent Haaland hurricane to hit Sevilla would push the Spaniards towards relegation into the Europa League, where they went on to defeat Roma in an austere final, Bono’s assurance in a decisive penalty shoot-out to the fore, as it had been during the World Cup for Morocco.
But the Sevilla goalkeeper, beginning his fifth season with the club, is not at all certain to still be there in September, his heroics at the World Cup and his consistent excellence in La Liga and in Europe having made him a target for several superclubs.
Real Madrid were in contact last week with Sevilla, where Bono has two years left on his contract, when Thibaut Courtois, Madrid’s first-choice keeper, was ruled out for several months with a cruciate ligament injury. Counting against a Madrid bid was Bono’s likely and probably extended absence from club football serving his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February.
Bayern Munich, unclear about Manuel Neuer’s recovery schedule from a broken leg he sustained at the end of last year, still have Bono on their radar and as the Sevilla president, Jose Castro arrived in Athens on Tuesday, he had an equivocal message to all potential suitors for his superstar shot-stopper.
“For now, Bono is with Sevilla,” he said. “When there are offers, we will analyse them and if we believe it’s for the right sum, we’ll see if there’s the possibility of a transfer.
“We have a team of champions and they carry a price. But if the price is right for us to keep growing, we’ll go with it. If an offer doesn’t meet that requirement, he’ll stay with Sevilla.”
Mendilibar may well be without Fernando, the former City midfielder, because of illness – the Brazilian did not travel with the rest of the squad – while City have left Kevin De Bruyne, who is injured – and Bernardo Silva – reportedly unwell – at home. Ruben Dias is also missing and John Stones a fitness doubt, which could mean City’s new signing, the €90 million defender Josko Gvardiol makes his first start.
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
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Read more about the coronavirus
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.”
'Ashkal'
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F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
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UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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