When Sandro Rosell was elected the Barcelona president in June, many wondered if he was inheriting a poisoned chalice.
Given that Joan Laporta, the previous incumbent, had overseen two Champions League and four league titles in his seven-year stint, many thought Rosell could only fail.
A one-time supporter activist and lawyer, Laporta swept into power at Camp Nou in 2003 on an attention-grabbing, but unfulfilled promise, to bring David Beckham to the club.
Rosell was his vice-president, an ambitious Nike marketing executive from a respected Catalan family. His father had been Barca's managing director in the 1970s and his Nike influence later led to Ronaldinho signing.
As results picked up and Barca won the league in 2005, the pair fell out and Rosell stepped down, later publishing a book critical of Laporta and accusing him of being autocratic and power hungry.
He was not alone in making such accusations, especially in the final two years of his presidency. "Profligate" and "nepotistic" were two other terms frequently heard.
Laporta left for a future in politics where he has the ambition to lead Catalonia to absolute independence from Spain, boasting that his presidency was the most successful ever - whichever way it was judged.
So there was surprise when Rosell revealed that a €155 million (Dh790.5m) loan was required to pay the bills soon after his appointment. Many sensed it was the new president taking the wind out of the sails of the old regime, yet allegations of financial misconduct continued.
Rosell portrayed an image of someone playing an ultra straight bat, even if it cost him friends in high places.
Johan Cruyff, the Barca legend, had accepted Laporta's offer to become the club's life president.
Rosell correctly stated that such an appointment was against club rules and that it should be put to a vote. Cruyff handed back the honour in disgust.
Furthermore, the €11m profit presented by Laporta's board was audited to a €79m loss. Figures had, fans were told, been assumed, with revenue accounted which had not been received.
An ongoing dispute with pay television company Sogecable subsequently led to Barca appearing in court and ordered to pay €57m, providing part confirmation of Rosell's accusations.
To fans proud that Barca is a club that pays its way and contemptuous of the debts of English clubs, it was a heavy blow.
Rosell's board have approved a new code of ethics, big on "transparency" and forbidding "employment to relatives". Barca's directors are paid only in prestige, but the previous number of private jets on expenses and other excesses raised eyebrows. "Receiving commissions" will also be outlawed.
More allegations have emerged which highlight the profligacy of the Laporta regime, with expenses claimed for a number of surprising items like cigars.
And last week, Barca's general assembly voted to take Laporta to court for financial losses, with Rosell describing the decision as "the most important decision taken by members in the history of the club". He added that: "There is nothing agreeable about it and personally I feel very uncomfortable with it all."
Laporta responded with a stinging attack, the type which Barca's team have been unable to muster as frequently as hoped so far this season.
"Our management of the club was impeccable," he said. "We helped build the best Barca ever, but they [Rosell et al] have helped build a bad name for our management. This damage may have irreparable consequences and he does not deserve his position at the club."
Barca's internal politics will now be thrashed out in a public court, a distraction any club could do without, not least one faced with the challenge of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.
[ sports@thenational.ae ]
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Supy
Started: 2021
Founders: Dani El-Zein, Yazeed bin Busayyis, Ibrahim Bou Ncoula
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food and beverage, tech, hospitality software, Saas
Funding size: Bootstrapped for six months; pre-seed round of $1.5 million; seed round of $8 million
Investors: Beco Capital, Cotu Ventures, Valia Ventures and Global Ventures
The five pillars of Islam
World Food Day
Celebrated on October 16, to coincide with the founding date of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Day aims to tackle issues such as hunger, food security, food waste and the environmental impact of food production.
The five pillars of Islam
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Language Centre will mark International Women’s Day at the Bologna Children's Book Fair with the Abu Dhabi Translation Conference. Prolific Emirati author Noora Al Shammari, who has written eight books that feature in the Ministry of Education's curriculum, will appear in a session on Wednesday to discuss the challenges women face in getting their works translated.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
UAE FIXTURES
Wednesday 19 April – UAE v Kuwait
Friday 21 April – UAE v Hong Kong
Sunday 23 April – UAE v Singapore
Wednesday 26 April – UAE v Bahrain
Saturday 29 April – Semi-finals
Sunday 30 April – Third position match
Monday 1 May – Final
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km