• Valencia's Spanish midfielder Carlos Soler celebrates after scoring his third penalty in the 4-1 thrashing of Real Madrid. AFP
    Valencia's Spanish midfielder Carlos Soler celebrates after scoring his third penalty in the 4-1 thrashing of Real Madrid. AFP
  • Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema opens the scoring. AFP
    Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema opens the scoring. AFP
  • Benzema (R) celebrates with teammates. EPA
    Benzema (R) celebrates with teammates. EPA
  • Carlos Soler of Valencia scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot. Getty
    Carlos Soler of Valencia scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot. Getty
  • Valencia's midfielder Carlos Soler (3-L) celebrates with teammates after levelling the scores. EPA
    Valencia's midfielder Carlos Soler (3-L) celebrates with teammates after levelling the scores. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, right, scores an own goal past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to put Valencia ahead. AP
    Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, right, scores an own goal past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to put Valencia ahead. AP
  • Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane gestures during the thrashing at Valencia. AP
    Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane gestures during the thrashing at Valencia. AP
  • Soler (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the third. EPA
    Soler (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the third. EPA
  • Sergio Ramos can't believe it as Carlos Soler prepares to take another penalty. Getty
    Sergio Ramos can't believe it as Carlos Soler prepares to take another penalty. Getty
  • Soler scores his third penalty. Getty
    Soler scores his third penalty. Getty
  • Soler celebrates with teammate Uroc Racic after scoring his team's fourth goal. Getty
    Soler celebrates with teammate Uroc Racic after scoring his team's fourth goal. Getty

'I don't like it' - Zidane Zidane fuming after Real Madrid concede record three penalties in thrashing at Valencia - in pictures


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Coach Zinedine Zidane said Real Madrid could not hide behind the referee's decisions or their injury and illness woes after they stumbled to a 4-1 defeat at Valencia on Sunday.

Real conceded three penalties for the first time in their history, all of which were scored by Valencia's Carlos Soler, while Raphael Varane also scored an own goal, after Karim Benzema had given the champions the lead.

Zidane had to make do without a total of six players for Sunday's match after midfield anchor Casemiro and record signing Eden Hazard tested positive for Covid-19, but the coach said nothing excused their performance.

"We can look for one thousand excuses and everyone can find any reason they want to explain this," Zidane said.

"But we should not be looking for excuses, everyone in this squad is a Real Madrid player."

The coach criticised his side for reacting so badly to Soler cancelling out Benzema's opener.

"We played well in the first half an hour but the game changed completely after they equalised. This has happened to us a number of times and I don't like it," he said.

"We need to really analyse what is going wrong because any little thing can cause us lots of difficulties. Once we conceded the first goal we couldn't get back into the game. A lot of things went against us today."

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, however, felt his side were unlucky.

"We were very motivated to turn the game around at halftime but I had to make a save as soon as the second half started and then we conceded two penalties," he said.

"I think (Valencia striker) Maxi Gomez fouled Marcelo but Maxi shouted louder and they gave a penalty. There was also a foul on Asensio, we were talking about that in the dressing room but you can't change anything in the dressing room.

"I don't know how to explain it, they didn't create too many chances but we had three penalties go against us and their second goal was very bad luck."

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Most match wins on clay

Guillermo Vilas - 659

Manuel Orantes - 501

Thomas Muster - 422

Rafael Nadal - 399 *

Jose Higueras - 378

Eddie Dibbs - 370

Ilie Nastase - 338

Carlos Moya - 337

Ivan Lendl - 329

Andres Gomez - 322

The biog

Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents

Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University

As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families

Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too

If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

MATCH INFO

Argentina 47 (Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet (2), Mallia (2), De La Fuente, Bertranou; Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta)

United States 17 (Tries: Scully (2), Lasike; Cons: MacGinty)

RESULTS

6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock

9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

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Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response