Xabi Alonso has been confirmed as the next manager of Real Madrid with the Spaniard's reign set to kick-off at this summer's Fifa Club World Cup.
Alonso, 43, left his role as Bayer Leverkusen coach following their final Bundesliga game of the season – a 2-2 draw at Mainz – after two-and-half seasons in Germany.
He has signed a three-year deal with Madrid where he made more than 230 appearances during a hugely successful spell as a player between 2009 and 2014.
Alonso takes over from veteran Carlo Ancelotti whose trophy-laden second spell as coach has ended in a disappointing finale with Real relinquishing the European and Spanish titles. Ancelotti is leaving Real to become the first foreign manager of Brazil.
Real's first game at the new Club World Cup is against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in Miami on June 18 with Mexican outfit Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg of Austria completing the Group H line-up.
Alonso's contract starts on June 1 with Real describing him in a club statement as a club “legend and one of the greatest players in world football history”.
He will be officially unveiled as manager in Madrid Monday at 1.30pm UAE time.
Basque-born Alonso started his playing career at Real Sociedad before going on to star in midfield for three of Europe's biggest clubs in Liverpool, Real and finally Bayern Munich.
He would make 701 career appearances, scoring 44 goals, winning two Uefa Champions League crowns, the Uefa Super Cup as well as one La Liga and three Bundesliga titles.
Alonso also starred for Spain winning 114 caps during a sparkling period that saw the national team win one Fifa World Cup and two Uefa European Championships.
His coaching career began back at Real Sociedad where he took charge of the B team in 2019 before being replacing the sacked Gerardo Seoane as Bayer Leverkusen manager in October 2022.
The German side were second bottom of the table having taken just five points from eight games – their worst start to a campaign since 1979.
But Alonso's reign started with a 4-0 thrashing of Schalke and he would guide Leverkusen to an impressive sixth-place finish, earning a place in the following season's Uefa Europa League.
What followed over the next 12 months would earn Alonso a place in German football folklore as Leverkusen went on to win their first ever Bundesliga crown, finishing the season unbeaten in 34 games.
As well as ending Bayern Munich's 11-season stranglehold on the Meisterschale, Leverkusen would also go on to complete the domestic double by beating second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final.
Serie A side Atlanta would deny Leverkusen a stunning treble when they ran out 3-0 winners in the Europa League final which ended a 51-game unbeaten run for Alonso's men.
“The second season was a historic season, it was a dream season with great nights, great games and we made history,” Alonso said after announcing his Leverkusen exit last week.
Following up such a successful campaign was always going to be problematic, despite Alonso turning down potential opportunities to take over at former clubs Bayern and Liverpool to stay on as Die Werkself coach.
Leverkusen soon fell to their first Bundesliga defeat in 35 matches – and 462 days – when they lost 3-2 at RB Leipzig at the end of August.
Their German Cup reign was ended in the semi-finals by third-tier Arminia Bielefeld while Leverkusen were humbled 5-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Bavarians would also win back the Bundesliga title with Vincent Kompany beating Alonso to the Meisterschale in the Belgian's first season as coach with the Bavarians currently 11 points clear at the top with one game to play.
Alonso then officially announced that his time at Leverkusen would be ending after the Mainz match.
His final home game in charge ended in a disappointing 4-2 defeat by Borussia Dortmund when Alonso was given a hero's reception by supporters at an emotional BayArena.
“It’s a great club to come to and to enjoy; the main thing is the football [they appreciate] and that is why I have been very happy,” Alonso told bundesliga.com. “I can only say that I’m really thankful to everyone.
“This club will stay forever in my heart,” Alonso added. “The result doesn't matter, it wasn't the most important thing.”
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
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 facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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