Julian Nagelsmann was almost through his grand tour of personal coups against legendary managers when things turned a little heated. At half-time of the first Champions League quarter-final the RB Leipzig manager had ever taken part in, there was confrontation with Diego Simeone, who was in charge of Atletico Madrid for the 99th time in a European fixture.
"A couple of things happened that I was bit disappointed with," said Nagelsmann of the altercation, careful not to specify details but also not shying away from admitting there had been an incident between the two men. It was 0-0 in Lisbon at that stage. Leipzig finished up 2-1 winners.
So it was that, via a clash, then a shock winning goal, a remarkably young manager outwitted the longest-serving head coach in the business end of this extended Champions League. Being Nagelsmann, who is seldom timid about speaking his mind, he then drew attention to the half-time flare-up between the pair.
In the previous round, he had spoken quite frankly about the coach he and his Leipzig had eliminated. That was Jose Mourinho, whose Tottenham Hotspur were turfed out at the last 16 stage by an aggregate 4-0. Nagelsmann enjoyed recalling that in his younger days he was referred to as ‘Mini-Mourinho’.
Or, rather, that was in his even younger days. Nagelsmann is just 33, and will take Leipzig into Tuesday's semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain with quite a backdraft of conquered opponents. Mourinho, once the exemplar of precocious young managers, and still a standard-setter for making his clubs hard to beat; and Simeone, whose Atletico are supposed to be as hard to beat as anybody on the upper storeys of the European hierarchy.
Waiting the next floor on the rapidly rising Nagelsmann elevator will be Thomas Tuchel, of PSG, a man who not so long ago was the bright young go-getter of German management, but who, at 46, can look a lean, gaunt middle-aged figure next to the baby-cheeked Nagelsmann.
The winner of their duel may then face a tactical face-off, in Sunday’s final, with another German, Hansi Flick, who is 55 but in some ways the novice of this trio.
Flick has been in charge of Bayern only since November, and assumed the role of senior coach there after almost a 15-year gap since he last had ultimate responsibility for a club first-team. His Champions League record as a head coach amounts to just six games. It also includes a stunning record-breaking scoreline: Bayern 8, Barcelona 2 from last Friday.
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PSG beat Atalanta
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But with this trio, it is best to not make judgements based on age, or the number of European matches, but rather the quality and volume of their learning. Nagelsmann and Tuchel were both diverted young into coaching careers after knee injuries stalled their progress as players, and both brought fresh, open, ambitious minds to their new metier.
They found themselves following in talented footsteps, too, Tuchel impressing while in charge of Augsburg’s reserve team and then taking over from one Jurgen Klopp as head coach of Mainz. He later took over at Borussia Dortmund … from Klopp.
Nagelsmann was meanwhile climbing up the rungs of the ladder: while working with Augsburg’s young players, he had coincided with Tuchel. He became Hoffenheim head coach at the tender age of 29.
As for Flick, he had a distinguished playing career in midfield for Cologne and Bayern, where he won four Bundesliga titles and reached a European Cup final, in 1987.
A long stint at Hoffenheim as manager – in those days the provincial club played well beneath the top division – preceded a decade and a half earning the trust of the great and the good of German football, including some world champions players.
His longest stretch as an assistant coach was his eight years as second-in-command to Joachim Low at the national team when they won the 2014 World Cup. He was also briefly sports director at Hoffenheim when Nagelsmann was their tyro head coach.
Quite a few paths have been crossed then for the first (Flick’s Bayern), second (Tuchel’s PSG) and third (Nagelsmann’s Leipzig) favourites to win this unusual edition of club football’s most prestigious trophy, one that for the first time in 29 years has no semi-finalist from either Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A or the English Premier League.
But, to a great drumroll from Berlin, it has three clubs managed by Germans. “It’s a wonderful moment of success for German football,” beamed Oliver Bierhoff, the national team director at the German Federation, with a nod to the fact that last year’s Champions League winning manager was another German, Klopp.
BLACKBERRY
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Jurassic%20Park
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RESULTS
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BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Results
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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AL%20BOOM
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
