DUBAI // Luiz Felipe Scolari has urged his Guangzhou Evergrande players to ensure he adds the Asian Champions League crown to his vast collection, as the Chinese champions prepare to take on Al Ahli on Saturday in the first leg of the continental final.
The Brazilian, speaking on the eve of the encounter at the Rashid Stadium, is a highly decorated coach, having led his country to the 2002 Fifa World Cup. His achievements at club level are similarly impressive, including guiding Gremio and Palmeiras to the Copa Libertadores in 1995 and 1999, respectively.
Scolari has also enjoyed domestic success outside South America, helping Bunyodkor to the 2009 Uzbekistan championship. Last month, Guangzhou were crowned champions of China.
Understandably, the former Chelsea manager is keen to burnish his CV.
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“In my career I have been the world champion, the South American champion, and even a European champion. Now it would be a great honour for me to be Asian champion,” Scolari said. “I hope my players and my captain can deliver it.”
Predictably, Scolari remained coy when asked about the threat posed by Ahli, saying only that he was impressed by their performance in last month’s semi-final against Al Hilal.
The UAE club have never before advanced this far in the competition — this is their first experience of the knockout stages — whereas Guangzhou were champions two years ago, before Scolari’s reign began.
“We have a lot of very specific details for this match, but in front of the press maybe we have to keep it to ourselves,” he said. “I am very, very confident about my team and I’m sure they will give an awesome performance tomorrow.”
Zheng Zhi, the Guangzhou captain who lifted the Champions League trophy in 2013, added: “I think this will be very different to then, because this is a new team and a new challenge for us. We have a different strategy and a different team — I believe Ahli are very well organised and their players have made some very good performances. Tomorrow will be a very tough match, but we are very confident. We are ready.
“We do have a little bit of pressure, but we’re very, very confident to compete for this final.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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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)
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
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
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Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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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
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1
Calvin Harris
Columbia
