Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manger, does not believe his team is experienced enough for the Champions League.
Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manger, does not believe his team is experienced enough for the Champions League.

Roberto Mancini keeps it real



Carlos Tevez's representatives are talking to AC Milan about a possible move for the Manchester City striker, sources close to the situation said yesterday.

Tevez has not played for City since September when he refused to warm-up during their Champions League game at Bayern Munich and has faced internal disciplinary action with Roberto Mancini, the manager, saying he saw no way back for the player.

A move away from the club in the January transfer window is widely expected and Italian media have reported Milan would prefer an initial loan deal with an option to buy. That would not sit well with City, who want a permanent deal and would be unwilling to accept anything below the market price for the Argentina international, the sources told Reuters.

Neither AC Milan nor City have commented on the matter.

The Tevez issue hung above Mancini's news conference yesterday despite the Italian's best efforts to bat it away as his team seek to put Tuesday's Champions League setback behind them by continuing their domestic charge.

Mancini, who has faced weeks of questions about the future of the striker, who is in Argentina without City's permission, shook his head when the subject was raised again. "I don't want to speak about Carlos, sorry," he said.

The manager was instead keen to shift the focus to on-field matters as the Premier League leaders prepare to keep up their dazzling domestic form when they visit Liverpool tomorrow.

Mancini said Tuesday's 2-1 defeat by Napoli would not have a knock-on effect on the league campaign and remained optimistic that their Champions League journey was not necessarily over.

They need to beat Bayern Munich in their final group game next month and hope Napoli fail to win against Villarreal, who have yet to pick up a point.

Asked about his team's chances of qualifying, Mancini said: "I believe if Villarreal play a good game they can beat Naples or they can do a draw but it clearly now depends on the other teams.

But he added that his side were not yet good enough to win Europe's elite club competition.

"We should be realistic," he said. "I do not think we have a team to win the Champions League this season. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan all have more experience than us."

Elsewhere, Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out the possibility of strengthening Manchester United's midfield during the January transfer window despite ruling Anderson out until February with a knee injury.

The Brazilian is to see a specialist in Portugal for further assessment on the problem. He saw the same specialist two years ago following surgery for cruciate ligament damage.

Ferguson is already without fellow midfielder Tom Cleverley, who is battling an ankle injury.

"It is dead easy to say you are going to buy a player but it is not easy to buy players for Manchester United, particularly in January," he said.

"I don't see anyone who could make us a better team from the ones who are possibly available."

* Agencies

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What should do investors do now?

What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor? 

Should I be euphoric?

No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.

So what happened?

It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.

"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."

Should I buy? Should I sell?

Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.

"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.

All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.

Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.

Will the rally last?

No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.

"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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