Barcelona clinched the 2022/23 La Liga title on Sunday with a 4-2 win at neighbours Espanyol.
It was the first trophy under manager Xavi, who took charge of the club he graced as a player in November 2021.
Here is a closer look at how the Catalans secured a 27th Spanish title and a first since 2019.
Impenetrable defence
A club known for their flowing attacking football secured this season's La Liga title with four games to spare based on a rock-solid defence and a goalkeeper who elevated himself to elite level.
Barcelona's defence has been breached a mere 13 times in 34 league games – making them by far the meanest defence in the division. As a comparison, second-placed Real Madrid have conceded 32 goals, while Atletico Madrid, currently third, have the second best defensive record with 27 goals against.
Xavi bolstered his rearguard last summer with the acquisitions of Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea and paying Sevilla €50 million for the versatile Jules Kounde.
Both have been standouts in Barca's title charge, while centre-back Ronald Araujo has staked his claim to be considered one of the best defenders in the world.
Teenager Alejandro Balde has replaced the ageing Jordi Alba at left-back but not to the detriment of Barca's attacking philosophy. Spain international Balde was on target in Barca's 4-2 win at Espanyol that clinched the title.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has found confidence and form again, with Barcelona yet to concede at home from open play all season, bar an Araujo own goal against Real Madrid.
The German has kept 25 clean sheets so far this season. T the all-time league record is 26, set by Deportivo La Coruna in 1993/94.
The Galician side and Atletico Madrid share the record for fewest goals conceded in a 38-game season, 18 – a figure Barcelona could beat with four games remaining.
Lewandowski's goals
Lionel Messi's departure in the summer of 2021 due to Barca's financial problems left a huge hole up front, but the Catalans addressed that by making Robert Lewandowski their marquee summer arrival.
The Polish forward, signed from Bayern Munich for €45 million, hit the ground running at Camp Nou before injury disrupted his campaign.
During an 11-match spell between August and October, Lewandowski scored 13 goals to send Barcelona into the winter break at the top of La Liga.
The 34-year-old's brace against Espanyol took his La Liga tally to 21 – most in the division – and he still has four games to add to it.
With the pace on the flanks of Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha, Lewandowski's killer instinct in front of goal has made Barcelona an attacking force again. Only Real Madrid (70) have outscored Barca (64).
Faith in youth
Xavi's trust in his younger player has paid huge dividends.
The form of 19-year-old Balde has meant the phasing out of Alba has been painless while in midfield Xavi probably sees plenty of himself in the polished performances of gifted 18-year-old Gavi.
At 20, Pedri assumes the role of elder statesman in the midfield engine room. Both are tipped for huge futures at both Barcelona and in the Spain national team. With captain Sergio Busquets leaving this summer, both will assume a greater roles next season when Barca defend their title and attempt to re-establish themselves at the top table of European football – the Champions League – following two successive group-stage exits.
Ansu Fati, another 20-year-old, has found opportunities hard to come by but has shown in the past he can add an extra dimension to Barca's attack.
To illustrate just how much faith he places in youth, Xavi made Lamine Yamal, a 15-year-old graduate from the club's famed La Maisa academy, the club's youngest ever first-team player when he brought him on as substitute in a 4-0 win over Real Betis.
"He does not have a clear profile, he is a born talent,' Xavi said of the Spanish-born midfielder. "Young people are not afraid, unlike before. The new generations try and have a terrible self-confidence. This is what I see in Lamine."
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
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Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Company%20Profile
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
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