Cristiano Ronaldo will be devastated. He went to Real Madrid with dreams of winning the European Cup. He was part of a grand plan, the most costliest signing in the most expensive team ever assembled.
And now, after losing to a very good Lyon side who adopted the perfect game plan, he'll be sitting at home watching his former Manchester United teammates progress through the competition.
The team will always come first for Ronaldo, but footballers don't win the individual awards like he did in 2008 playing for teams who get knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage.
It is the sixth consecutive season that the mighty Real Madrid have failed to get past that stage. Maybe the media who are slaughtering the coach at the moment should take a look at themselves and realise that changing the manager eight times in five years is not good for the stability of the club. Maybe they should look at English clubs who give their coaches more than five minutes in charge and usually reap the benefits.
I was at Old Trafford on Wednesday night for another magical evening in European competition. My enthusiasm and respect for the way United, and especially Wayne Rooney, performed was only matched by disappointment at AC Milan.
They may not be the force they were, but Milan still have top quality players. They needed to score a goal, but they were so timid. I sat with my former teammate Denis Irwin and neither of us could believe how much space the Milan defenders gave Rooney for his first goal.
So United march on alongside Arsenal. Maybe Chelsea will follow next week, again confirming the dominance of English clubs in the latter stages of the Champions League. One reason I think they do so well is because of the strength of the Premier League.
In a league where Burnley can beat Manchester United, competition is fierce. Compare that with Spain's Primera Liga, where Real and Barca win every week and do not face the same challenges.
I know Barca are the European Cup holders and an exceptional side, but a stronger domestic league would be good for Spanish football.
Arsenal impressed me immens-ely against Porto and my estimation of Arsene Wenger is at an all- time high.
He has a fraction of the money that Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini have, yet his side are still in contention for the Premier League and are still in Europe.
Arsenal play great football and Wenger continues to pluck players few people had heard of and turn them into big stars. Had you heard of Thomas Vermaelen a year ago?
Wenger gives young players a chance and stays true to the Arsenal tradition of developing emerging talent. That reputation was what made me choose to go to Arsenal over Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Celtic when I was a kid.
Highbury, those historic marble halls, Double winners, great football tradition, so many trophies and all that business. Couldn't fail, could I? Arsenal just had to be the place for a confident boy like me with special young players like David Rocastle, Kevin Campbell, Paul Davies and Michael Thomas. You only had to look at the teamsheet to see that Arsenal was the place where footballers were made, not born.
It was the place where superkids were granted early first-team opportunities. That was priority number one for me. The other was that there were a lot of black players excelling there.
There was one big problem why I only played twice for Arsenal: George Graham, the manager. Or Gorgeous George as I called him. He didn't like me and I didn't like him. I was young and so determined to become a top player that I didn't want anything to get in my way, not least a manager who wouldn't give me chances when I thought I deserved them. Maybe my self-assured nature came across as arrogant, but I was desperate to prove myself.
George pulled me into his office one day and said: "You think you're the bees' knees don't you?" I was 15, but I wasn't having him talking to me like that and came back with: "No. And I'm not having you tell me what I am." Gorgeous George just shouted, "Out!" and pointed to the door. Their problem was that they knew I had something and could play.
I only wish Arsene Wenger would have been manager when I went there, someone to shape me and encourage me rather than be confrontational. As it was, I went on loan to Fulham and then Arsenal sold me to Bristol City. I did have plenty of chances to play at Highbury - usually slotting goals in for Manchester United, with Arsenal fans hopefully wondering why a kid who loved their club so much was ever allowed to leave.
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
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
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
The%20specs
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The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
