Montpellier // The coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Laurent Blanc, said that, while he and his players will treasure their third successive Ligue 1 title, the goal is to build on their success.
Blanc said there remains room for improvement in his team.
The 49-year-old coach, who could yet land a historic domestic treble as PSG take on Ligue 2 Auxerre in the French Cup final, said this title had been won in adversity.
PSG, who have already landed the League Cup, had to battle hard to win the title this season with first Marseille and then ultimately Lyon giving them a tough fight, but a 2-1 away win on Saturday over Montpellier saw them retain the trophy with a game to spare.
Blanc, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti as coach after the Italian left for Real Madrid following the first title win in 2013, said he could not say if PSG were set to dominate domestic football like Lyon did at the beginning of the century.
"I cannot tell you if that will come to pass," said Blanc, whose major disappointment was the tame way PSG lost to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals.
“However, Paris do not want to stop now, we want to continue to make progress, to get better, whether it be the players, the staff, the board of directors.
“I hope that will happen. First, though, we will savour the title, the season is not over, there is still the cup final against Auxerre.”
Blanc, who also won the title with Bordeaux before a two-year spell as French national coach, said he expected to still be in charge of the team next season.
“I am speaking of how it is with the directors,” he said.
“I am talking about next season, because I have a contract that runs through to the end of it.”
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SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
