England's top clubs will pay particular attention to a certain Spaniard in Bavaria this festive season with Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola due to announce his future plans before Christmas.
Guardiola, 44, is halfway through the third and final year of his current contract and says he will announce his decision to stay or go before December 25.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is ready to make Guardiola a generous offer to extend his stay by laying out “many positive reasons to stay at Bayern”.
Club captain Philipp Lahm has told the coach the squad want him to stay.
Read more: Who are the best candidates to replace Jose Mourinho at Chelsea? Pep Guardiola has a case, writes Jon Turner
“The team’s position is clear, we enjoy working with our coach and we really, really want to keep doing so,” said Lahm.
Spain international Xabi Alonso is reported to want to extend his contract, which also expires in June, should Guardiola stay.
And even Bayern fans got in on the act.
On Guardiola’s pre-Christmas visit to a Bayern fan club earlier this month, one supporter, dressed as Father Christmas, cheekily handed him an elaborate scroll.
It was a spoof contract to remain Bayern’s coach for the rest of his life.
All Guardiola had to do was sign his name and fill in “whatever amount of money he thought was appropriate”.
Although he laughed it off, Guardiola has become increasingly annoyed by the constant rounds of rumours, which has even seen him linked to the England national team.
Marti Perarnau, the Spanish journalist who shadowed Guardiola through his first season in Munich, has insisted England will be Pep’s next stop.
Various sources claim Guardiola has already signed a deal to join Manchester City, at the start of 2015, to take charge of the club for the 2016/17 season.
City's rivals Manchester United have entered the fray as possible future employers to replace Louis van Gaal following poor results and their Champions League exit.
And with Chelsea close to the Premier League relegation places, Guardiola's name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.
Yet Guardiola has given no indication of where his future lies.
His reputation for success, having won 19 titles as either coach of Barcelona or Bayern, leaves Europe’ top clubs clamouring for his services.
Regardless of whether he stays or goes at the end of the season, Guardiola wants to get his hands on the Champions League trophy again in the May 28 final.
It would be his third European crown after his 2009 and 2011 success with Barca and would only enhance his pristine reputation.
He has repeatedly said that at a club like Munich, only the Champions League matters, which he insists he is okay with, even if his irritated expression suggests otherwise.
Both of his two previous attempts to win the European crown with Bayern ended at the semi-final stage when found wanting, first by Real Madrid, then Barcelona.
The lack of pace out wide, which Barcelona cruelly exposed in their 3-0 thumping of Bayern in May at the Camp Nou was quickly remedied as wingers Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman were signed up for this season.
As they have done in each of the last three seasons, Bayern hold a commanding lead in the Bundesliga and are bidding to become the first team to win four consecutive German league titles.
But Guardiola’s tenure in Bayern will be judged on whether or not he falls again at the semi-final hurdle.
Guardiola has built on the work done by predecessor Jupp Heynckes.
Heynckes delivered the 2013 treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal (German Cup) titles, but Guardiola has added an unprecedented level of flexibility to his team.
Guardiola’s Bayern can change their formation during a game if necessary.
For example, with the scores goalless at home to Ingolstadt on Saturday, Guardiola moved Lahm into midfield, Coman switched wings and Javi Martinez dropped into defence.
The result was two goals in the final half an hour.
That’s why Bayern reportedly want to up his estimated salary of €14 million (Dh56.2m) and plenty of clubs would pay for the privilege.
But as Lahm told Kicker: "If Guardiola leaves one day, for sure another excellent coach will come along, but first we have to see what happens."
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Dunki
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Company%20profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The%20Specs
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