Juventus have been a class above the rest of Serie A in the past three seasons but now they must contemplate going for a fourth successive title without coach Antonio Conte and a host of clubs believing they can wrest the crown from them.
The title race will seek to revive Italian fans’ morale after a poor World Cup showing by the national side – their first round exit prompting the resignation of Cesare Prandelli with Conte replacing him as coach.
The fans will also hope for a stronger challenge by their clubs in Europe this term as the decline in their ability to compete with the English Premier League elite and leading Spanish sides has had an adverse impact.
Inter Milan’s win in the 2009 Champions League is the last time they had a representative in that final and one has to go back to Parma’s victory in 1999 for the last Italian appearance in the Uefa Cup, now the Europa League.
Conte gave as one of the reasons for his leaving the Juventus job as being angry that the board were not prepared to aid his push for a successful Champions League campaign with money for players.
They did, however, spend EU€20 million (Dh96.9m) on Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata and Conte’s replacement, former AC Milan boss Max Allegri, has said one of his objectives is to target success in European football’s leading club competition.
Allegri, 47, who won the title with Milan in his first season in 2010/11, admits he will need time to win over the fans but said his recipe for success was that adopted by Diego Simeone at Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
“The three consecutive titles make us favourites in Italy and we’ll compete all the way for the title,” said Allegri.
“There are great clubs in Europe, but with a shrewd transfer policy and organisation we’ll try to enjoy an excellent Champions League campaign, just as Atletico Madrid did last season.
“Juventus must be among the top eight teams in Europe, it’s our duty.”
Roma and Napoli pursued Juventus last season.
The Turin giants finished with a record 102 points but Roma gave them a good run for their money for a long while under French coach Rudi Garcia.
Garcia, previously at French side Lille whom he guided to the domestic double in 2011, has to also prepare for a Champions League campaign.
But he has indicated that the domestic title remains his focus and hopes the €22m signing of Argentine striker Juan Iturbe will add the necessary class to their challenge.
“What I know for sure is that Juventus have won the last three scudettos (Serie A titles) and will be a very good and strong competitor as usual,” said the manager, 50, who will be looking to another excellent season from his old Lille comrade, Ivory Coast star Gervinho, who is coming off an impressive World Cup.
“Our objective is to be as strong as possible and be effective in the (Serie A) Championship even though we are playing in the Champions League, which wastes many energies.”
Napoli boss Rafael Benitez too will be hoping for a stronger run from his side, who have bundles of talent including Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain and Slovakian playmaker Marek Hamsik, but has also expressed his frustration in bizarre terms at not being able to compete in the marketplace.
“‘Do we want to exchange our wife’ is like ‘do we want Mascherano’. We’re in love with our wife, I mean, our players,” said Benitez in July.
“Do we want to exchange our wife for Claudia Schiffer? It could be but it depends on your wife, are you happy with your wife? Let’s wait for a response from the transfer market.’
Both Milan sides will expect to mount a stronger challenge but while Inter at least invested in Chilean Gary Medel from Cardiff and talented, but unruly Frenchman Yann M’Vila, AC’s ambitions have been undermined with the sale of striker Mario Balotelli.
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
