After Spalletti's sparkle, Ranieri brings realism

Roma need a "jolt" to snap out of their poor early season form new coach Claudio Ranieri said yesterday. Ranieri agreed to a two-year contract with the Serie A club after Luciano Spalletti resigned following two losses to open the Italian season. "Spalletti's Roma had a sparkling sense of play. My philosophy is a little different - I'm bringing my pragmatism to this team," Ranieri said after a team meeting and training session.

"What's really needed is a jolt, because this team has to make a turnaround right away. Maybe the guys lost a little bit of belief." Roma lost to Genoa 3-2 on the opening day of the season and were beaten by Juventus 3-1 on Sunday, but club president Rosella Sensi said she was surprised by Spalletti's resignation. "I respect Spalletti, but I didn't expect him to abandon the ship," Sensi said. "He made his choices and I suppose he had his reasons."

Roma were runners-up in Serie A in Spalletti's first three seasons, but the Giallorossi finished sixth last season and out of the Champions League places. "In the last four years, this team did some great things, displaying some of the best football in Europe. Fifteen months ago this team was a half hour from winning the Serie A title," said the Rome-born Ranieri. "As a Roman, watching them play filled me with pride. I'm coming home with a great desire to do well."

Ranieri began his playing career with Roma, but appeared just six times for the club in 1973-74. As a coach, Ranieri has taken charge of Fiorentina, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Parma. He was fired by Juventus with two games remaining last season. Struggling financially, Roma have been unable to make many big acquisitions in recent seasons, and the club is still largely dependent on captain Francesco Totti, who turns 33 later this month. Upon her arrival at the team's training centre, Sensi was greeted by graffiti scrawled on walls calling for her departure.

"We certainly didn't meet all of the objectives we set forth for and I know we haven't met the fans' expectations," she said. "My words are not going to make anyone happy, but I think our squad is competitive. * Agencies

Tips for SMEs to cope

Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
Make sure you have an online presence
Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Almnssa

Started: August 2020

Founder: Areej Selmi

Based: Gaza

Sectors: Internet, e-commerce

Investments: Grants/private funding