The San Siro stadium in Milan is one of the most recognisable football venues in the world. AFP
The San Siro stadium in Milan is one of the most recognisable football venues in the world. AFP
The San Siro stadium in Milan is one of the most recognisable football venues in the world. AFP
The San Siro stadium in Milan is one of the most recognisable football venues in the world. AFP

As AC Milan continue their renaissance, San Siro looks for next chapter in its glorious history


Andy Mitten
  • English
  • Arabic

The vast Curva Sud of the San Siro never stops. “Come on Milan,” they sing, 20,000 of them in unison, most in black T-shirts in the middle of the vast cavity’s three tiers. It sounds magnificent. “I’m just living for you. I’m never going to leave you. I will always be with you. I don’t care if I end up in trouble. You’re my only love; I’ll never cheat on you.”

They have reason to sing. Their team, who had not been good enough to qualify for European competition after last season’s disappointing eighth-place finish, 19 points behind champions Napoli, are beating the Napoli of Scot McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund and about to go top of the league. Milan are down to 10 men, Napoli are dominating possession and how those fans make a difference.

And how these fans had been missed, for while they had been present at the opening games of the season, the supporters on the curvas (curves) at both AC Milan and their city rivals Internazionale had decided not to sing or show any of their famous banners.

A police investigation into their activities, from tickets to merchandise and food at the stadium mainly focusing on those at Inter, had angered the groups. Football fans being at odds with authorities is nothing new and as the argument rumbled on, Milan played without the backdrop which makes San Siro one of the best places on the planet to watch football.

Players were not happy, but for the Napoli game the singers found their voices and for this weekend’s game against Fiorentina the banners should be back. It’ll help since Milan have enjoyed a surprisingly positive start to the season, winning four, drawing one and losing one.

AC Milan's Adrien Rabiot, Mike Maignan and Fikayo Tomori celebrate their win over Napoli at San Siro. AFP
AC Milan's Adrien Rabiot, Mike Maignan and Fikayo Tomori celebrate their win over Napoli at San Siro. AFP

The National went to Milan’s game against Napoli, staged at the end of Milan’s fashion week, to find out what is happening.

Alexio and his friends are local boys and they walk to the stadium, growing in numbers as they get closer, like a river widening as more tributaries join it.

They come together at Barretto 1957 football bar – a simple, historic place adorned with memorabilia in the shadow of San Siro’s north end, where Inter’s most vocal fans normally gather. For AC Milan home games it’s a Milan space. And there’s space around San Siro.

London’s Wembley, a bigger and far more modern stadium, is being suffocated by endless construction of apartments around it, yet San Siro stands alone on a vast strip of concrete, but for the bars and concession stands that sell food, drinks and merchandise.

It works. Not everything has to be a chain. There’s community, friends who’ve been going to see Milan together for decades, experiencing the highs and the lows.

The group call one sustained low between scudetto title wins in 2011 and 2022 ‘the Banter years’. Milan became a bit of a joke, finishing as low as 10th in 2015.

Last season could be included in that era, but this one has started much better despite the sales of midfielder Tijani Reijnders for €50 million to Manchester City and not always harmonious full-back Theo Hernandez to Al Hilal.

In their place and under the guidance of new technical director Igil Tare from Lazio, legendary but aged genius Luka Modric, 40, came from Real Madrid.

Full-back Pervis Estupinan came from Brighton to become Milan’s first Ecuadorian player. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot joined on a free transfer having fought with his own Marseille teammates during a pre-season friendly that was described as being like “an English pub fight” by Marseille coach Roberto di Zerbi and “extremely violent” by the club president.

Yet Rabiot had a key ally having played under current Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus, where the pair had a surprisingly strong bond. It’s working so far, according to the group of fans sat eating pizza outside Barretto.

And when they don’t talk about the present, they remember the past, with legendary captain Franco Baresi listed as the all-time idol for most. He’s referred to simply as Capitano.

The nearby walls are adorned with Inter murals and the fans of both clubs agree not to touch each other’s artwork. San Siro is one of the greatest sights in world football.

Set against a clear blue late summer sky, its giant red girders sit on top of cylindrical towers around the stadium’s perimeter. As the sun fades, shafts of white light beam out through the slits in the vast stairs of layered ramps which hang on the outer walls and lead in a clockwise direction from ground level to various entry points around the stadium.

The overall effect is that the long-time home of Inter and AC Milan has an identity all of its own. It looks like a spaceship,, like it wants to fight, like it knows its place as a concrete, glass and steel cathedral of world football.

But, like many stadiums in Italy, it has received little investment since the 1990 World Cup finals were staged in the country. Most stadiums are owned by the local municipality, denying clubs funds from executive facilities and ticket revenues.

The few clubs that do own their own homes, including Juventus, Atalanta and Udinese, have benefitted during a time when Serie A, while widely respected, is slipping further behind the commercial juggernaut of England’s Premier League.

Inter Milan's Yann Sommer after victory over Cremonese. Getty Images
Inter Milan's Yann Sommer after victory over Cremonese. Getty Images

No Italian club has won the Uefa Champions League since Jose Mourinho’s Inter in 2010, although both Juventus and Inter have reached the finals. It feels inadequate when you consider that AC Milan were European champions five times between 1989-2007.

Milan’s money came from being a huge club and Silvio Berlusconi, an Italian media magnate, later the country’s leader. Car manufacturer Fiat is still involved with the once imperious Juventus, but ownership is shifting. American, mainly private equity, owners are involved at both Milan clubs, Atalanta and Roma.

It’s a time of change. Italy’s national team, continental champions in 2021, are weaker than any other time in recent memory. When Italy last won the World Cup in 2006, they had Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Francesco Totti, Gigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Luca Toni, Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi under the eyes of serial winner Marcello Lippi.

Of the five best current Italian footballers: Sandro Tonali, Gigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori and Nicolo Barella, three play in England.

The top money was in Italy in the 1980s and 90s, now it’s in England. Now, it’s not uncommon for top players to play in Italy, but it’s usually on the way down – not that there is anything wrong for Luca Modric to be in Milan, Jamie Vardy, 38, at Cremonese or Nemanja Matic, 37, at Sassuolo. Then there are younger players that struggled to secure regular places at top English teams.

McTominay left Manchester United just over a year ago and has become such a star in Naples that he tells The National after the game that he’s loving life and the change of scene after playing all his career at Old Trafford.

Is it any surprise? He lives in a wonderful football city amid fine culture and he’s now an Italian champion who was on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.

Christian Pulisic, captain of the United States, was a big-money signing for Chelsea where he was in and out of the team. He’s now one of AC Milan’s best players.

The changing demographics mean that Milan’s 11 starting players against Napoli are from 10 countries, with three more nationalities on the bench. Milan is cosmopolitan and so is their team.

Milan and Inter fans love San Siro, but while somebody else owns it, they feel stuck.

While The National was in Milan, officials were meeting to decide the fate of the stadium. A vote was held where it was decided that the stadium would be sold to Inter and Milan. Both clubs want to start afresh with a new venue adjacent to the current one. It seems crazy to this outsider, like demolishing Rome’s Colosseum. Will they demolish that or Verona’s amphitheatre because they don’t have a sponsored business suite?

San Siro needs some love, not knocking down. It’s still a colossal structure where the pitch is framed by a roof so vast that the sky seems like a small rectangle from the pitch below.

But in Milan, those who travel to the stadium every week are more sanguine about change. They talk of poor toilets and an ageing venue not fit for the huge crowds that watch football there.

Despite their eighth-place finish last term, Milan’s average home crowd of 71,512 was the highest in the country, just ahead of Inter in a league where the average is a healthy 30,000.

Italian football still has numerous virtues and the atmosphere created by fans is one of them. It’s louder than in England, but while hooliganism has been a problem, strict ticketing means it’s safer to watch football in Italy than 20 years ago.

That ticketing doesn’t stop 5,000 Napoli fans attending San Siro, a proper following, especially given the 8.45pm Sunday night kick-off time for a first vs second game, one between the wily coaches of Napoli’s Antonio Conte, who took the team from 10th to champions, and Milan’s Allegri, back for a second spell.

Allegri is a stabiliser, funny with little filter when he talks. He’s animated and passionate, respected, too. And with no European football he can concentrate his efforts on Serie A, while the Napoli team he faces have flown back to Italy after a midweek Champions League defeat at Manchester City.

Yet it’s still a surprise when Milan take the lead after three minutes. Belgian forward Alexis Saelemaekers gets the goal. Pulisic makes it 2-0 after 31 minutes. What noise.

“The best first half since the days of Seedorf,” messages Alexio, harking back to a time when Clarence Seedorf played between 2002 and 2012. “No, I mean Rijkaard,” (1988-93) he adds. After a poor couple of years, fans can be excused for being exuberant.

The music played over the public address system at half-time is known internationally, yet made in Milan. Freed from Desire, a 1997 hit now more popular on the terraces than ever, is by local girl Gala Rizzatto. Ride on Time, an international 1990 hit, came out of the local Italian house music group Black Box.

The mood in the stadium changes after 57 minutes when Milan’s Pervis Estupinan receives a red card and a penalty is awarded to Napoli after a long VAR review.

De Bruyne, who recently left Manchester City, and his teammate Matteo Politano urge the travelling fans high on the third tier for more support.

The theatrics are strong when Santiago Gimenez, a full-back signed from Girona, calls on the home crowd for more. They oblige, all 70,000 of them. Crowds are up across Italy in the post-Covid world.

Hojlund, De Bruyne and McTominay are all substituted with 20 minutes to play and time running out. They have played well, and taken 15 shots to six, but their team is losing.

Milan’s captain, French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, catches the ball and cradles it like a baby. He's in no rush to release it. When a board is held up stating there will be more minutes of added time, the crowd boo. The tension is high, the relief tangible at the final whistle, a wall of sound cascading from the stands as Milan go top of Serie A.

Modric suggests that players link arms to celebrate in front of both curvas. There’s no pushback against this. This has been the best night in Milan for a while, yet Napoli remain favourites to retain a title they have lifted twice in the past three years. Six games in, only three points separate Italy’s top five and only one point the bottom four. All the more reason to keep an eye on Serie A.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go

Flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.

The stay

Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.

UAE Premiership

Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes

Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai

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.

Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

Scoreline

UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia

UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’

Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’

Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)

Armies of Sand

By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
 

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: ten-speed

Power: 420bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: Dh325,125

On sale: Now

Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km

'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Janeen%20Damian%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lindsay%20Lohan%2C%20Chord%20Overstreet%2C%20Jack%20Wagner%2C%20Aliana%20Lohan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now

The%20Letter%20Writer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Layla%20Kaylif%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eslam%20Al%20Kawarit%2C%20Rosy%20McEwen%2C%20Muhammad%20Amir%20Nawaz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hamilton’s 2017

Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Ammar 808:
Maghreb United

Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat 

WIDE%20VIEW
%3Cp%3EThe%20benefits%20of%20HoloLens%202%2C%20according%20to%20Microsoft%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EManufacturing%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reduces%20downtime%20and%20speeds%20up%20onboarding%20and%20upskilling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngineering%20and%20construction%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Accelerates%20the%20pace%20of%20construction%20and%20mitigates%20risks%20earlier%20in%20the%20construction%20cycle%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20care%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Enhances%20the%20delivery%20of%20patient%20treatment%20at%20the%20point%20of%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Improves%20student%20outcomes%20and%20teaches%20from%20anywhere%20with%20experiential%20learning%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NBA FINALS SO FAR

(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)

Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109

Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109

Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123

Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105

Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106

Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland

Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: Dh898,000

On sale: now

Results:

6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m

Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m

Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor

8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m

Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m

Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m

Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.

Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did

We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.      
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.  
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

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.
Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Roger Federer's 2018 record

Australian Open Champion

Rotterdam Champion

Indian Wells Runner-up

Miami Second round

Stuttgart Champion

Halle Runner-up

Wimbledon Quarter-finals

Cincinnati Runner-up

US Open Fourth round

Shanghai Semi-finals

Basel Champion

Paris Masters Semi-finals

 

 

SQUADS

Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed

Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran

The specs

Price: From Dh529,000

Engine: 5-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 520hp

Torque: 625Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km

DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%2C%20Manal%20Khader%2C%20Amer%20Daher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday

Second leg

Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm

Game is on BeIN Sports

The%20end%20of%20Summer
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Salha%20Al%20Busaidy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20316%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20The%20Dreamwork%20Collective%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

The Book of Collateral Damage

Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

TCL INFO

Teams:
Punjabi Legends 
Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

Company Profile

Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

Company%C2%A0profile
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England's Ashes squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. 

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Common%20symptoms%20of%20MS
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Updated: October 14, 2025, 9:00 AM