Ten minutes from full-time, the home manager received his red card. He had already been warned by a booking in the first half about what he said and gestured on the touchline. But then he annoyed the referee again as his team were grinding their way to a goalless draw. Three nights earlier, they had lost 6-1.
Yet as the manager made his way to a set in the stands, sent off, fans began to rise to their feet and applaud him. Proof that Jose Mourinho, provoker of referees, expert at styling a 0-0 as a defiant triumph and of deflecting the blame for a five-goal losing margin onto a range of people other than the head coach, still has a special power to work an audience.
His latest audience are notoriously demanding Romans. Mourinho is still new to the Italian capital, Roma having offered him a return to management soon after he lost his job at Tottenham Hotspur and tasked him with elevating them to top-four status in a Serie A he has won twice in the past with Inter Milan. But in just 14 matches in charge of Roma, he has packed in plenty of headlines.
There was the record-breaking defeat in Norway last Thursday, 6-1 at remote Bodo/Glimt, a heavier losing scoreline than this fabled, medalled coach had ever known in over 1,000 previous games in management. His reaction was corruscating towards the players in a much rotated line-up. “We have 13 players who represent one [Roma] team,” he said of those who were mostly rested in a chilly Norway. “The others are on a different level. Bodo has more quality that our starters against them had. It’s that simple.”
Some context here: Roma met Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League, the new third tier of Uefa competitions; Mourinho has won the Champions League - the top tier - twice as a manager. Bodo/Glimt are ranked outside the top 150 of European clubs according to Uefa’s coefficient scale, based on performances; Roma are ranked 12th.
Though Mourinho did acknowledge he was responsible for picking the weakened starting XI, and did so mindful of fixture pile-up and the risk of injury to senior players on an artificial surface in Arctic-Circle Bodo, the message to his employers hardly needed deciphering. It is that his squad lacks depth, even though Roma spent more than almost every other Serie A club on new players in the summer.
He has asked for reinforcements in the January transfer window, and made his point about meagre cover for his first XI with the matchday party he chose for Sunday’s meeting with league pacesetters Napoli. On the bench there were seven teenagers.
Up in the stands, meanwhile, were five of the players who had lined up in Norway, fit but excluded from the visit of Napoli, a public ticking-off for their poor showing. “Now make it up to us!” read a Roma fans’ banner in the stadium. By the time Mourinho made his own way to the stand, red-carded, the applauding fans evidently thought the coach had made his amends.
A draw against Napoli is better than any other opponent in Serie A had managed through the league campaign so far. Arresting their 100 per cent record, with most of his preferred starters back, felt almost like a victory for Roma. Mourinho will look to name the same line-up tonight at Cagliari, he suggested, indicating that those banished because of Bodo will stay banished.
Victory over Cagliari, where Mourinho will be suspended from taking his place on the touchline, should also keep Roma in the top four and regain some of the momentum they had before defeats in the derby against Lazio, and to Juventus, both within the last month.
Then there’s Sunday’s visit by AC Milan, another tough assignment, but if Roma can pick up points in what looks like a kinder run of games after that, they can look forward with optimism, to possible January additions and to the return to action of injured left-back Leo Spinazzola, a star for Italy at Euro 2020.
Spinazzola, who suffered an Achilles tendon problem during Italy’s triumphant summer tournament, is expected to start training with the rest of the Roma first-team squad by early November. A fit Spinazzola will give the side width and verve. According to Mourinho’s blunt calculations, it will also take up to 14 or 15 the number of Roma players he can actually trust.
“The result in Norway remains on my record,” said Mourinho of his harsh judgement on the back-up players who failed him there. “If I put out a substitutes’ bench full of youngsters, it sends a message.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
UAE%20SQUAD
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The%20Sandman
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Kandahar%20
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SPECS
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Company%20profile
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RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
AL%20BOOM
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Naga
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