Uefa's complicated league coefficient rankings may not agree, but the statistics do not lie: Germany is home to Europe's most profitable and popular league.
The Bundesliga, founded as late as 1963, is a relatively new championship when compared to its European cousins. Italy's Serie A and England's Premier League both evolved from top-tier divisions originally created in the 19th century, although they have endured format overhauls since, while Spain's Primera Liga was initially organised back in 1929.
Yet, following an era of English dominance, it is the facts and figures emanating from the Bundesliga that suggest Germany may be preparing for its own reign of supremacy when it comes to European domestic football.
Despite having only implemented the three points for a win system in 1995, the Bundesliga has quickly grown in stature and respect and can now boast a higher average attendance than any other football league anywhere in the world.
The most recent available figures reveal that, for the 2008/09 season, the German league attracted on average 41,914 spectators to each of its 306 league games. In comparison, the English Premier League - often billed as "the best league in the world" by pundits and punters alike - managed an average of 35,599, while La Liga and Serie A turnstiles welcomed less than 30,000 through for each of their 380 matches.
A report published earlier this year by Deloitte, the financial analysts, also revealed that the Bundesliga had overtaken the Premier League as the most profitable division in the world for the 2008/09 season.
The English league still generates by far the most revenue, but when clubs' wage bills are accounted for, the English tier's ?92 million (Dh448m) operating profits are almost half that of their German counterparts' ?172m. Serie A and La Liga continue to operate at a loss.
However, such statistics mean little to European football's governing body at this stage.
Uefa's league coefficient rankings dictate the number of clubs from each country that will qualify to compete in the confederation's two continental competitions, the Champions League, Europe's stellar club competition, and the Europa League, the bridesmaid competition.
But with the rankings determining the allocation for the season after next as well being calculated by teams' results in European tournaments over the past five seasons, the Premier League - which has produced five finalists since 2005/06 - can be confident of remaining top for the foreseeable future, which should result in it maintaining its four Champions League places.
Spain are also allocated four places, while Germany leapfrogged Italy in the rankings earlier this year to claim an extra place, meaning that from 2012/13 Serie A will lose a Champions League qualifying place to the Bundesliga.
The Italian league, having produced two Champions League winners in the past five years - including the holders Inter Milan - may well feel hard done by, but few can argue that the league itself is not facing problems.
Many of the league's biggest names, such as Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini have left or retired in recent years, while Jose Mourinho, the coach who led Inter to continental glory, had resigned before the tickertape had even been swept off the field at the Bernabeu after last year's Champions League final success over Bayern Munich.
If any championship were to topple the Premier League from its perch, in terms of pure footballing talent, it would surely be Spain's Primera Liga.
With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, widely accepted as the two finest players in the world, playing for rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, as well as the country's national team being World and European champions, there is no other country on the planet that can claim to be home to better football. Atletico Madrid even won the inaugural Europa League last season, beating Fulham, of England, 2-1 in the final.
Yet the Primera Liga suffers from a problem in that the league's two biggest clubs - Barca and Real - have won 17 of the past 20 titles. Such a dominance means that while the top two are able to dominate and secure the best players, many of the remaining 20 teams struggle.
Valencia, who finished third last season and are dogged by massive debts, were 25 points adrift from second-placed Real and have since lost David Villa, their prolific goalscorer, to Barcelona and David Silva, their mercurial winger, to Manchester City.
However, such domestic dominance as viewed in Spain has been a feature of all four European leagues of late.
Inter Milan have successfully secured the Serie A title every year since 2005, while Bayern Munich have triumphed in Germany in six of the last 10 seasons. In England, Manchester United have won an unrivalled 11 of the past 17 titles.
However, the English league this year is expected to produce a thrilling championship race with more than five genuine contenders for the title. Whether it is enough to boost gate receipts and increase profitability remains to be seen.
@Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
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If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
