BARCELONA // The future of Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino was uncertain on Saturday night as the clubs hopes of winning the Primera Liga title grew slimmer after a 2-2 home draw with lowly Getafe.
The result against a team battling relegation means Barca, the 2009 and 2011 European champions, will almost certainly finish the season, Argentine Martino’s first in charge, without major silverware for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign.
Atletico Madrid can open a six-point lead over Barcelona with a win at Levante on Sunday. Including that match there are two games left with a visit to Camp Nou coming on the final day of the season.
Real Madrid lurk three points behind Barca in third and are well placed to overhaul their arch rivals as they have today's match at home to Valencia followed by Wednesday's trip to struggling Real Valladolid.
Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, who is responsible for first-team planning, said he would sit down with Martino to talk about next season and any changes would be communicated in good time.
However, he stopped short of confirming that Martino, who is known as “Tata”, would definitely remain in the job.
“Tata is our coach and when we meet and talk we will take decisions and we will announce them,” Zubizarreta said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Canal Plus.
“The planning process never stops,” added the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper.
“Our season will end with the match at home against Atletico Madrid, and after that things will happen that will shape the season to come.”
At the start of last month Barca were on track to repeat their 2009 treble of La Liga, Uefa Champions League and Copa del Rey
They are now likely to end the campaign with only the season-opening Spanish Super Cup.
They were eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Atletico last month and Real beat them 2-1 in the final of the Cup a week later.
Martino took full responsibility for Barca’s failures at his post-match news conference yesterday.
He left open the issue of whether he would see out his two-year contract.
“Sometimes you ask for a [second] chance when you believe you are entitled to ask for it,” the 53 year old said. “And there are times when you think you don’t deserve to have it.
“I will see what is in my head.
“We just played a match and there will be time to say what I am thinking.”
At no point during the season had Barca reach the level they touched during four trophy-laden seasons under Pep Guardiola, Martino said.
“We have not been able to win a trophy because at no time did we see the best version of Barcelona.
“In the season when it was my turn to lead we were far from that level.
“Of the three teams fighting for the league title, we were the least consistent.”
* Reuters
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
PRISCILLA
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if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
Company%20profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Inside%20Out%202
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
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