Camp Nou’s scoreboard had not registered one minute for Barcelona’s final game of the season against Eibar when Cristiano Ronaldo put Real Madrid ahead in Malaga.
The Portuguese became the first player in history to score 40-plus goals in seven consecutive seasons.
News of the goal began to seep through at Camp Nou, briefly flattening the noise that had built pre-match as a homage to outgoing manager Luis Enrique.
Along the side of the pitch, a large flag had been unfurled from the second tier with the message: “Forever one of us. Forever Lucho”.
Behind one goal, another huge flag showed a picture of the Asturian as a Barca player and then as manager.
He was an unqualified success in both roles.
As the fans began to sing Enrique’s name, another flag read: “You’ll always be one of us.”
Chants for the man who had been unveiled three years to the day continued throughout the game.
Enrique won the treble in his first season, the double in his second. His team are in the Copa del Rey final this season, too, but there was still a slight hope that they could make it three consecutive league titles.
Slight became implausible when Takashi Inui put Eibar ahead after seven minutes, striking the ball first time from a cross into the roof of the net to make him the first Japanese player to score at Camp Nou.
It could have killed the noise and the hope, but Barca’s fans got louder.
Perhaps they realised that their chance of winning the title on the final day was always a tiny one.
A Madrid side who had won their previous nine away games, scoring 33 goals in those games, had to lose at Malaga.
Whatever Madrid did, Barca had to win themselves.
Given they were on an 11-game home winning streak in the league, their best record in four years, few doubted any other result, yet they struggled to overcome an Eibar side who have been an outstanding success this term.
The league’s smallest club, with stadium seating only 6,000, are comfortable in 10th in the league table.
They looked comfortable against Barca, too, though there were frequent scares.
When Luis Suarez finished a counter attack with a shot wide after nine minutes, Barca’s luck seemed to have run out.
The Uruguayan did put the ball in the net after 13 minutes, but a flag had already gone up for offside.
He shot wide again on 35 minutes with the type of chance he would normally convert.
Three minutes before half time, another chance was scuppered when the sole of Andres Iniesta’s boot connected with the ball when he intended it to be his heel.
Lionel Messi was set up by Suarez after 55 minutes and placed the ball wide of Yoel’s goal.
Seconds later, news of Karim Benzema’s goal in Malaga spread around Camp Nou.
The champions were about to relinquish their crown to their greatest rivals.
Then Eibar made it 2-0 on the hour. Inui again, wth another superb strike.
Barca finally scored after 63 minutes, a Neymar shot bouncing of the post and into the path of David Junca, who put the ball into his own net.
Barca were awarded a 69th-minute penalty after a foul on Jordi Alba, but Messi’s shot was pushed onto the bar.
Suarez poked a 73rd-minute goal in to equalise with his 29th league strike of the season.
Messi scored a 75th-minute penalty after Neymar appeared to be fouled as Barca finally moved in front. The Argentine made it four with an incredible run from the halfway line in the 93rd minute.
It was a fine comeback, but the three points were not enough.
Madrid are champions for the first time since 2012.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
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
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%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E495Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Estarts%20from%20Dh495%2C000%20(Dh610%2C000%20for%20the%20F-Sport%20launch%20edition%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
