Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was all smiles ahead of Sweden's Euro 2016 play-off match against Denmark at Stockholm, Sweden.    AFP
Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was all smiles ahead of Sweden's Euro 2016 play-off match against Denmark at Stockholm, Sweden. AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic hints he may leave Sweden national team; Wayne Rooney to rest as Roy Hodgson tinkers



 Sweden

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never been afraid to speak his mind and the Sweden striker said yesterday that he had put France on the map of world football. Before his country meet Denmark in the first leg of their Euro 2016 play-off at the Friends Arena on Saturday, Ibrahimovic also hinted that the two games against Sweden’s Scandinavian rivals could be his last for the national team. “I would love to play at the European Championship in France,” the Paris Saint-Germain forward said. “I have played there for four years. I have put Sweden on the world map and now I have put France on the world map, too.” As to whether he would retire from Sweden if they failed to overcome Denmark, Ibrahimovic said: “We’ll see. If you’re asking me now? No. If you ask me after the play-offs? I don’t know.” Sweden’s all-time record scorer shrugged off the fact that he has never scored against the Danes. “It doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “There will be goals when there is goals. If we create chances they’ll turn up.” The second leg is in Copenhagen on Tuesday.

 England

Wayne Rooney will sit out England’s friendly in Spain as Roy Hodgson prepares to experiment with Euro 2016 fast approaching. Hodgson plans to make several changes for this match and Tuesday’s friendly against France. Rooney is set to start against the Euro 2016 hosts at Wembley, but the England captain will be a spectator against Spain. “We are going to use the two games to look at various combinations, various groups of players playing together,” Hodgson said.

 Liverpool

Joe Gomez’s season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, sustained playing for England Under 21s last month, has left the Liverpool defender “absolutely devastated” after the teenager made a promising start to the campaign. Gomez, 18, who joined from Charlton Athletic, made an instant impact at the club and began the season as their first-choice left-back, putting in some assured displays. “I was absolutely devastated. I was hoping I’d be back available before too long,” Gomez told the Liverpool Echo. “The physio Chris [Morgan] and the doctor [Andy Massey] didn’t say anything before the scan, but my knee had swollen up and I think they knew straightaway. When they got the results, I could tell by the doctor’s face that it wasn’t good news. To be told it was my cruciate was tough to take.”

 Palermo

Club president Walter Zamparini has issued a hands-off warning following reports AC Milan will try to lure attacking midfielder Franco Vazquez to the club in January. Argentine-born Italian Vazquez came to prominence at Palermo last season playing alongside striker Paulo Dybala. Dybala has departed for Juventus but Vazquez continues to impress in Serie A and Milan are one of several clubs reported to be preparing a bid for the 26-year-old forward.

 Hungary

Former Hungary goalkeeper Marton Fulop, who played for a string of English Premier League clubs, has died from cancer at the age of 32, Hungarian media reported. Fulop, who played 24 times for Hungary after a 2005 debut against France, was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. He began his career with MTK Budapest before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2004. A series of loans then followed to Chesterfield, Coventry City, and Sunderland, who signed Fulop in 2007 before loaning him out to Leicester City, Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion. The player also had a short stint in Greece with Asteras Tripolis in 2012. In 2013 he announced that he was taking a break to recover from a tumour removal operation, but never returned to professional football again.

Follow us on twitter at @NatSportUAE

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor

Power: 843hp at N/A rpm

Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km

On sale: October to December

Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi

Favourite TV show: That 70s Show

Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving

Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can

Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home

Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat