Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid are third in La Liga, with 21 points from nine matches this season. Dani Pozo / AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid are third in La Liga, with 21 points from nine matches this season. Dani Pozo / AFP

Real Madrid a ‘lottery’ opponent for minnows Cornella



When third-tier Cornella were drawn to play holders Real Madrid in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey, players and officials from the Barcelona-based club celebrated wildly what they called “winning the lottery”.

Wednesday’s first leg match will be played at the nearby stadium of top-flight Espanyol and will provide some welcome extra revenue for tiny Cornella, whose annual budget of around €1 million (Dh4.6m) is dwarfed by Real’s income of more than half a billion.

Real are likely to rest some of their big guns but with the team on a high after Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Barcelona in the La Liga “Clasico”, Cornella will probably become the latest team crushed by the Real juggernaut.

Speaking after this month’s draw, Real director Emilio Butragueno warned against underestimating sides like Cornella, perhaps with a famous Copa defeat to third-tier Alcorcon at the same stage in 2009 in mind.

“There have been a lot of surprises in the Cup over the years and we will have to be very focused,” Butragueno told reporters.

“They (Cornella) are in mid-table in their division but playing Real Madrid is always a great challenge and a huge motivation,” added the former Spain and Real forward.

“They will be a dangerous opponent and we will very much have to be on our guard.”

If Real get through to the last 16 as expected, they are likely to meet 2013 winners Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona, who Real beat 2-1 in last season’s final, the probable opponents in the last eight.

All but two of the last 32, first legs take place at the beginning of December but Real’s has been brought forward because of the European champions’ participation in the Club World Cup in mid-December.

Due to the disruption to the La Liga calendar caused by the tournament in Morocco, Sevilla have also had their Copa del Rey first leg brought forward and meet second-division Sabadell on Wednesday. The return legs are at the beginning of December.

Sevilla, level on points with Barca at the top of La Liga after nine matches following Sunday’s 2-1 win at home to Villarreal, last won Spain’s domestic Cup in 2010.

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Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:

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What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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

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Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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