Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri says it is good for his players to “have a little fear” ahead of their Champions League assignment next week after ending their Serie A campaign with a 3-1 defeat at home to Roma.
With Juve already crowned champions and nothing to play for, star striker Cristiano Ronaldo was rested, affording Gonzalo Higuain the chance to spearhead the attack against fifth-placed Roma.
The Argentina international opened the scoring after just six minutes in the Allianz Stadium but Diego Perotti inspired a Roma fightback, setting up Nikola Kalinic to nod in the equaliser after 23 minutes.
Perotti converted from the penalty spot just before the break and added a second six minutes into the second half to inflict a third defeat in four matches for Sarri’s side.
The team later lifted the trophy at an empty Allianz Stadium as they celebrated winning the 'Scudetto' for the 36th time.
It was Juventus's second consecutive defeat since sealing a ninth Serie A title in a row, just days before their Champions League campaign resumes against Lyon.
"It can be good for us to have a little fear," said Sarri as his side target a first elite European title since 1996.
"We had an unconscious, inevitable drop after the victory against Lazio.
"The physical energy can be recovered quickly, the psychological one must be reassured immediately, in order to give everything against Lyon."
Sarri's side need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their last 16 home game against Lyon.
"I am convinced that the game on Friday will be a great stimulus, and that we'll go on to the pitch with a completely different attitude," added the former Chelsea and Napoli coach.
Inter Milan took second place with a 2-0 win over direct rivals Atalanta in Bergamo, finishing the season just one point behind Juventus.
Danilo D'Ambrosio nodded in Inter's first goal after just one minute with Ashley Young doubling their lead after 20 minutes with a stunning curling shot to boost confidence ahead of next week's Europa League tie against Getafe.
Despite their runner-up finish, Inter coach Antonio Conte said the club failed to back him and his players in the face of criticism.
"I don't think the work of the players has been recognised and I don't think my work has been recognised," said the Italian. "We all received very little protection from the club, absolutely zero.
"We have to grow and improve in all areas, including off the field, and a big club should protect its players more. We’ll discuss it all at the end of the season - I have to meet the President [Steven Zhang] and he’s in China right now."
Atalanta's 17-match unbeaten league run going back to January 20 ended.
But coach Gian Piero Gasperini said it was the best preparation for their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
"This game with Inter gave us a nice wake up call, it was the best thing that could have happened to us," he said.
"It was the best game we could find in anticipation of the Champions League.
"In the last few weeks we have played more confident football, taken our foot off the gas a little, but tonight we have understood that you cannot play like that against this type of team, and it will be the same with the PSG."
Lazio finished fourth, equal on points with Atalanta, having been pushing for the title just one point behind Juventus when the season resumed on June 20.
Simone Inzaghi's side fell 3-1 to Napoli but forward Ciro Immobile scored his 36th goal of the season to equal the record for the most goals in a Serie A campaign.
The 30-year-old Italy international tapped in after 22 minutes to match Argentina forward Higuain's record of 36 goals, set while playing for Napoli in the 2015/16 season.
Immobile will also win the European Golden Shoe for the continent's top scorer this term, having overtaken Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski's tally of 34 in midweek.
Napoli warmed up for their Champions League last 16 second leg game over Barcelona with a win, but lost captain Lorenzo Insigne, who scored on the night, to injury.
In the San Siro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty but scored his 10th league goal since January as AC Milan finished in sixth place with a 3-0 win over Cagliari.
The season concludes on Sunday with Lecce and Genoa playing Parma and Hellas Verona respectively hoping to avoid joining Brescia and SPAL down in Serie B.
Genoa, in 17th, are just one-point ahead of Lecce, who occupy the final relegation berth.
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.
THE%20SPECS
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Racecard
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Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
