Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane intends to enjoy his first experience of coaching in el clasico as his side travel to Barcelona on Saturday faced with the daunting task of ending the European champions 39-game unbeaten run.
Barca lead third-placed Madrid by 10 points in La Liga with just eight games remaining, but Zidane believes his side can emerge victorious at the Camp Nou if they continue they same form they showed in winning five consecutive matches before a two-week international break.
“The fans want to see good football and I want to see my team as it has been recently,” said Zidane on Friday.
"Clasicos are the most beautiful thing in football for a player. Now I am going to live it as a coach. It is the first, but I am very happy and will enjoy it."
The only previous meeting between the sides this season wasn’t enjoyable at all for those of a Madrid persuasion as Barca took the Santiago Bernabeu by storm with a 4-0 thrashing of Rafa Benitez’s Real side.
However, Zidane insisted he hasn’t spoken to his players about that match.
Read more: Want tickets to Barcelona v Real Madrid? You are about 10 years too late
Also see: Barcelona's Lionel Messi lights up Argentina in World Cup qualifying – in pictures
And watch: Barcelona and Real Madrid contest el clasico for kids, and impress – video
“The players know what happened. It is a different game to the first one. It is one we have to win and want to win.
“I have seen it and analysed it, but I haven’t spoken to the players about it.”
Madrid's realistic hopes of landing a trophy this season appear to be in the Champions League, where they face Wolfsburg in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday.
Zidane insisted he won’t reserve any players with the trip to Germany in mind.
Yet, having won the Champions League in his first season as a player at the Bernabeu in 2002, Zidane is conscious that he needs to deliver results between now and the end of the campaign to secure his position as coach for next season.
“The important thing is to win. I know because I was a player at this club,” he added.
“I am not thinking about the end of the season, the important thing is to do things as we have done recently. If we continue like this something positive will happen.”
French international defender Raphael Varane has not been included in Zidane’s 19-man squad for the trip to Barca after picking up a calf injury whilst on international duty.
German midfielder Toni Kroos will be fit to take part, though, despite suffering a blow to his foot from James Rodriguez in training on Friday.
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
CREW
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The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
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Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
EA Sports FC 25
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Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
