It is three weeks since the fateful Madrid derby, Real Madrid's first defeat at the Bernabeu stadium under the fresh management of Zinedine Zidane.
It is 21 days since Cristiano Ronaldo, speaking with an authority that might have been interpreted as if he felt that he, and not the coach, has the most important voice in the dressing-room, cast doubt on the standards of the Real squad, as the club reconciled itself, after losing 1-0 at home to Atletico Madrid, to the certainty there would be no Primera Liga trophy at the Santiago Bernabeu this season.
That day, Ronaldo spoke to reporters on his way out of a stadium where loud boos and shrill whistles had been heard against the home team and he named junior players in a percussive post-match interview in which he said “if everybody was at my level, we’d be top” and implied very strongly that the back-up talent when the likes of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, or Marcelo were missing was not championship-winning material.
“I’m not saying Jese, or Lucas Vazquez are not good players, but …” What he seemed to be saying is that these youngsters were not good enough to raise Madrid, who face Sevilla on Sunday trailing leaders Barcelona by 12 points in the Primera Division, closer to the summit.
Ronaldo apologised, alerted that the quotes sounded like a slur on colleagues. What has happened since is that a brigade of younger players, including Jese and Lucas have been given not less but more chance by Zidane to show that, perhaps, in the not too distant future, they have broad enough shoulders, quick enough feet and wise enough heads to make disgruntled madridistas proud of a part of the club that has had a background role for much of the 21st century: Its academy, or the 'Factory' as, in more productive days, the Madrid youth system used to be known.
Zidane himself was once the symbol of Madrid’s preferred model of how to achieve success, made the most expensive player in football history in 2001, when Florentino Perez, the Madrid president then, as now, bought him, a 29-year-old attacking midfielder, from Juventus. Perez coined a phrase: his model was about ‘Zidanes and Pavons’. Paco Pavon was a young defender who had come through the ranks. Poor Pavon. He is best remembered because his name was in that catchphrase; he is not remembered as a great centre-half.
Perez could have said ‘Zidanes and Casillases’. The goalkeeper Iker Casillas remains the best 21st century example of a Madrid academy player who soared, becoming Madrid and Spain captain after graduating, young, from The Factory. But he is gone now. And he was conspicuous because not too many others from the academy have become indispensable in the way he was for the best part of 15 years.
Barcelona put Madrid to shame in that respect with their supply of fine homegrown players – from Lionel Messi to Andres Iniesta to Sergio Busquets – but in the last few weeks, Zidane, whose previous job was in charge of Castilla, the senior feeder team of the Madrid academy, has been making a strong point. He has picked academy alumni and let them show Ronaldo what they have: effort, gumption and no little skill.
Last weekend, at Las Palmas, the midfielder Casemiro scored the winning goal, close to full-time, in a 2-1 win. Jese scored in the previous Liga win, the 7-1 thrashing of Celta Vigo, when Lucas set up two of those goals, and covered more distance in his duties as a winger mindful of his attacking and defensive duties than any other Madrid player.
Casemiro, a 24-year-old Brazilian who spent last season on loan at Porto and the striker Jese, 23, are academy graduates who have been involved in the senior team, intermittently, for three seasons. Lucas is 24, so was due a breakthrough. But Borja Mayoral, 18, and promoted by Zidane to the first-team squad, is fresher-faced. “He is our second-choice number nine,” declared Zidane, boldly, picking him to start against Levante two weeks back in the absence of the injured Benzema. Borja has impressed, and, even in the company of opinionated superstars, does not look short of confidence.
FIXTURES (All times UAE)
Friday
Getafe v Eibar, late
Saturday
Sporting Gijon v Atletico Madrid, 7pm
Granada v Rayo Vallecano, 9.15pm
Real Sociedad v Las Palmas, 9.15pm
Deportivo Coruna v Levante, 11.30pm
Real Betis v Malaga, 1.05am
Sunday
Espanyol v Athletic Club, 3pm
Villarreal v Barcelona, 7pm
Valencia v Celta Vigo, 9.15pm
Real Madrid v Sevilla, 11.30pm
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BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
More coverage from the Future Forum
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
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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RESULTS
5pm Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Munfared, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dergham Athbah, Pat Dobbs, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Rajee, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Kerless Del Roc, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Pharoah King, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8pm Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Sauternes Al Maury, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
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.
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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
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Switching%20sides
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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.
Company%20profile
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SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Kandahar%20
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