On the 30-man shortlist for the 2017 Ballon D’Or, Italy’s Serie A has five candidates. Next to Real Madrid, from whose ranks seven reigning European club champions are candidates, that might seem a scant representation.
But things are looking up. The Italian top flight weighs in above the Bundesliga – three on the shortlist - and France’s Ligue 1, with its four contenders.
There’s a chance the Juventus captain, Gigi Buffon, may even make the podium, although this is not likely to be the year when the Ronaldo-Messi duopoly is broken at football’s annual red carpet for individual achievements.
Time was that Italy’s top division dominated this award – 13 Serie A winners in the last 18 years of the 20th century – and was the place the best players sought employment as a priority.
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Any announcement that Serie A is well on the up should probably wait until after next week’s intriguing round of Uefa Champions League matches, when Roma meet the Premier League champions Chelsea and Napoli, top of the table in Italy and the team who have contributed most to making this season’s Italian top flight the home of the most regular supply of goals among Europe’s top leagues, have come back from their game at Manchester City.
But, at this early stage of the season, Italy intrigues. There is the goal glut and there is the promise of a tight title race, or at least some muscular resistance to Juventus’s bid to claim a seventh successive scudetto.
A happy coincidence of fixtures this weekend should offer clues about how muscular. Six of the top seven clubs play one another.
The seventh placed of those are the club who made the strongest suggestions in the summer about a renaissance for Italian football, spending the most in assembling a squad to challenge Juve.
AC Milan’s €250 million (just over Dh1 billion) outlay on reinforcements has bought them onto the Ballon D’Or list, with the bold seizing of Leo Bonucci, a swoop that not only gave notice to Juventus that their famously iron defence might be dismantled by market forces as well as by quick-footed strikers, but that, now backed by Chinese investors, Milan were ready to shop in the most fashionable boutiques after a long period scrabbling around the cut-price retail bazaars of the game.
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With Bonucci pinched from the champions, midfielders Lucas Biglia and Franck Kessie hired from two of last season’s over-achievers, Atlalanta and Lazio respectively, and striker Nikola Kalinic signed from Fiorentina, Milan’s local raids have given the club an impressive spine.
There was more. Andre Silva, the young Portugal striker, joined from Porto for just under €40m and the acquisition of Ricardo Rodriguez, the attacking left-back, and Hakan Calhanoglu, the pass-master and free-kick wizard gives them a pair of admired specialists.
Certainly the Milan line-up for Sunday’s showdown against Inter, third in the table, will look very different from the XI who took on their neighbours at the end of last season, a 2-2 draw in which Milan came back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from a pair of centre-halves.
On paper, the new Milan ought be more potent in attack, although no goals in their last two Serie A matches, both 2-0 defeats have spread some anxieties. Sunday is an important examination for Vicenzo Montella, the manager. Lose and the distance between the Milan clubs in the league would extend to 10 points and, conceivably, Milan could slip into the bottom half of Serie A.
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"This a club in reconstruction," argued Andriy Shevchenko, the former striker, who won the Ballon D'Or while at Milan, "and they are still finding their way back up." Shevchenko has heard word that Montella's position is under scrutiny. He told Gazzetta dello Sport: "He needs to be given time."
Inter, on their sixth different manager in 16 months – Luciano Spalletti – could, by Sunday evening be eyeing a significant prize for victory in the derby. They are on the shoulder of Juventus, joined with the champions on 19 points, two behind Napoli, who take their 100 per cent record to Roma. With fourth-placed Lazio at Juve, Inter sense an opportunity to leapfrog into first spot.
Lazio are buoyant, with nine goals in their past two matches. Ciro Immobile, their centre-forward, needs to add one more to his nine for the season so far to catch Juve’s Paulo Dybala at the top of the marksmen’s chart.
Last season’s leading goalscorer, meanwhile, Roma’s Edin Dzeko, with seven this term, confronts Napoli’s Dries Mertens, whose seven so far keep him ahead of anybody in terms of goals this calendar year. In 2017, nobody has struck more in Serie A than the diminutive Belgian.
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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
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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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.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs
Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo
Gearbox: 7-speed automatic
Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km
Price: Dh235,000
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Afro%20salons
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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
Read more about the coronavirus
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI