PARIS // A tear may have trickled down Mamadou Sakho’s cheek the day he said goodbye to Paris Saint-Germain but the burly centre-back has vowed to put that sad story behind him.
The arrivals of Brazilian duo Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, alongside the presence of their countryman Alex, at the Parc des Princes over the last year left centre-back Sakho somewhat in limbo.
He lost his place in the Parisian team and also found himself surplus to requirements for his country.
But a €19 million (Dh94.7m) move to Liverpool just before transfer deadline day has revived his faltering career.
Called up again for France’s World Cup qualifier against Finland at the Stade de France next Tuesday, as well as Friday’s friendly at his old home ground against Australia, Sakho says he has no regrets about leaving PSG, but also no hard feelings.
It did not seem that way, though, when he shed a tear when being interviewed ahead of PSG’s clash with Monaco last month, just three weeks after leaving the club, as he returned to the Parc des Princes where he spent 11 years.
“Some people said I shouldn’t have done that [cried] with respect to Liverpool,” he said in an interview published in Le Parisien.
“To them I apologise for having spent half my life in Paris [he was actually born and raised in Paris], for having had teachers who helped me to grow up as a man.
“More seriously, though, it’s obvious that I have a strong connection with PSG and that I didn’t leave without emotion.
“The moment of the interview I was thinking about my father Souleymane who departed when I was 13.
“My mother was in the stands and I told myself that I’d have also liked to see my father watching me in that moment. I know he would have been proud of his son, and that’s when the tears flowed.”
Sakho does not try to hide the fact PSG is the team in his heart, and he still watches their games.
“I remain a Paris fan for life. I saw the match against Marseille [a 2-1 win on Sunday] in a restaurant. With every goal I got up to sing: ‘Here, it’s Paris’.”
But remaining at PSG having been shunted down the pecking order was not an option for the ambitious Sakho, who believes market forces played a role in his demise at his hometown club.
“I had to quit Paris to get back in the France squad,” he said.
“Being picked again proves many things. That I still have that level. Most of all that I didn’t leave to join a big club because of the competition [at PSG].
“At Liverpool there are also very good players in my position, but the competition is clean. At Paris it had become complicated.”
And at Anfield, Sakho believes he is finally being appreciated, particularly by Brendan Rogers, the manager.
“I’m learning and I listen to the manager’s advice. It’s funny, he calls me ‘Killer’.
“On the pitch I’m trying to adapt to my teammates. And things are getting better and better.”
sports@thenational.ae
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
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.”
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
