It was only two games into Jose Mourinho's return to Portuguese football and the new manager of Benfica was already hurtling into trademark rant mode.
His team had just been denied all three points at home to winless Rio Ave after a wonderful curling finish from Andre Luiz in added time, which had come just five minutes after Georgiy Sudakov appeared to have earned Benfica victory.
Mourinho, who replaced the sacked Bruno Lage at the club where he spent a brief 11-game spell in charge at the very beginning of his coaching career 25 years ago, did not take the final result well.
Few escaped Mourinho's wrath after the match. His players for the late leveller: “We scored a goal; you can't concede a goal when you're winning 1-0 … It's naive, it shows a lack of overall experience and a lack of understanding of the game.”
The opposition for their negative tactics: “There are players who spend the whole game delaying … Rio Ave is responsible for the emotional strategy they used, stopping the game and slowing it down.”
The referee for not dealing with the time-wasting: "[He] is responsible, and I said to him at half-time: why don't you give a yellow card to a goalkeeper in the 15th or 20th minute?”
And finally, modern football in general for ruling out a Benfica goal: “If this is today's football, if a goal is disallowed because a toe was stepped on or a shirt was pulled, I don't like today's football.”
It was in stark contrast to his unveiling at Benfica's training centre on the outskirts of Lisbson, where he assured all present that this would be a “more altruistic, less self-centred” Mourinho who thinks “less about myself and more about the joy I can give to others.”
Still, Mourinho's start at Benfica has generally been a positive one, coming a little over three weeks since being sacked by Turkish club Fenerbahce following their Uefa Champions League play-offs exit – ironically at the hands of Benfica.
He started off with a 3-0 win over bottom club AVS, followed by the Rio Ave draw and finally Friday's 2-1 victory at Gil Vicente, leaving Benfica third in the table, one point behind leaders Porto.
It was at Porto that Mourinho established himself as one of the world's leading coaches, guiding the club to two league titles, one Uefa Cup and – most incredible of all for a club of that size – the Champions League crown.
It was that achievement in 2004 – when Mourinho imprinted himself into English football minds by charging down the Old Trafford touchline to celebrate Costinha's late leveller, a goal that secured a quarter-final win over Manchester United – that led to him being appointed manager of Chelsea.
“Why not celebrate this way?” he wrote in his book, Mourinho. “This is surely an iconic picture in my career. A 50-metre sprint at Old Trafford … The next day I had two big English clubs knocking on my door.”
One of those was Chelsea, where he would go to win seven major trophies, including three Premier League titles, over two spells in West London. And where he returns on Tuesday night with Benfica in the Champions League.
Both his Chelsea reigns (2004-2007 and 2013-2015) followed similar paths; trophies and titles at the start followed by the sack – the first following a series of disagreements with then-owner Roman Abramovich, the second due to what the club’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, described as a “palpable discord with the players”.
Despite the issues in 2015, Mourinho's connection with his former players was vital to Chelsea's success. Frank Lampard and John Terry are two bona fide Chelsea legends and key figures during his spells in charge, both of whom hold Mourinho in the highest regard.
“The detail he and others brought to Chelsea was so forward-thinking at the time,” said Lampard in 2019 interview with the BBC's Football Focus. “Every training session had immense detail and was planned and structured so that you'd know what you were doing from the start.”
“He was the best manager, and the best coach as well. He did everything,” former Blues captain Terry said on Sky Sports in 2017. “He 100 per cent changed the way I thought about football. In his first session, the lads came in and we thought: 'Wow, that's a proper session'.”
His relationship with Chelsea supporters might be considered slightly more complex. When returning to Stamford Bridge as Manchester United manager in 2017, Mourinho was taunted by home fans with chants of “Judas” and “you’re not special any more”, in reference to his infamous “I am the special one” quote made at his first unveiling as Blues manager.
In response, the 62-year-old Portuguese would hold up three fingers representing the three Premier League titles he won for the club. “The fans can call me what they want,” said Mourinho after the 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat.
“Until the moment [Chelsea] have a manager that wins four Premier Leagues for them, I’m the number one. For this moment, ‘Judas’ is number one.”
How he is received on Tuesday night will be interesting, although the fact he will not be coaching a Premier League rival should ensure a warm welcome, before the first whistle is blown at least.
“If the fans are great to me, then great. If they are not, that's fine and no problem but I am happy to be back,” said Mourinho, while current Blues coach Enzo Maresca insisted: “It will be a privilege to face Jose.”
Both sides lost their opening Champions League games – Chelsea away to Bayern Munich, Benfica at home to Qarabag – and will be looking to kick-start their respective campaigns.
But never one to shirk the spotlight, it will be Mourinho taking centre stage, relishing the chance to make a mark with his new club and remind his old one of special days gone by.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
