Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and pull the trigger. In July 2007, Luis Filipe Vieira, the chairman of Benfica, flew to Canada to watch Angel Di Maria in the latter stage of the Under 20 World Cup.
His scouts had already filed glowing reports on the young winger who had linked up well with Sergio Aguero to propel Argentina into the latter stages of the tournament. Vieira had reached a deal in principle to sign Di Maria, but, by the time he settled into his seat in Ottawa's Frank Clair stadium for Argentina's quarter-final against Mexico, he was not feeling quite so confident.
The winger's club Rosario Central informed him "half a dozen" other teams had entered the fray, among them FC Moscow, and the Russians were ready to break the bank. Vieira had a budget, he could only go so high, which is why he felt shocked and disappointed. Even after 20 years in football, it still hurt when a man's word was not his bond.
Then something incredible happened. Maxi Moralez, a tiny attacking midfielder, stole the show. He scored the only goal but, more importantly, put on a masterclass of creativity and flair, wowing the crowd time and again. That night, when he returned to his hotel, Vieira received a text from Di Maria's representatives. FC Moscow had pulled out, they were going to sign this Moralez instead. Rosario were keen to do a deal, but it had to be done quickly. Vieira text back: "I'll be in the hotel lobby. How quickly can you get here?"
Within 10 days Di Maria was a Benfica player. Vieira spent US$8million (Dh29.3m) on him, with another $2.5m to come a year later. It was huge money for Benfica especially for an unproven 19-year-old from halfway around the world. But it certainly felt right and sometimes you have to roll the dice.
Vieira's gamble paid off handsomely. After a few games for Benfica, Di Maria was already being compared to Simao, the local legend who had just been shipped off to Atletico Madrid. But Vieira was careful. He personally insisted that Di Maria be brought along slowly, the last thing they wanted was a case of burn-out. In his first two seasons, he made 25 league appearances off the bench, exactly the number of games he started. And yet those glimpses were enough for fans and media alike to realise he was special.
For a start, he did not have the prototypical winger's build. At around 6ft tall, he packed 75kg of muscle, giving him a natural sprinter's build. Together with the quick first-step, he boasted an astonishing amount of physical power - full-backs simply could not knock him off the ball. Even when he did meet a physical match, he usually got the best of it, thanks to his arsenal of feints, tricks and step-overs.
By last summer he was being linked to everyone from Real Madrid and Juventus to Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. "He is the modern winger," said the Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho, a verdict which amounts to an investiture. Because Di Maria is not just a sideline-hugging wide man who delivers crosses. He is at his best when he cuts inside, providing his team with a spare man and wreaking havoc in the middle of the park.
He has a natural knack for timing these diagonal runs perfectly, without unbalancing the side.
"Players hate it when they see something different," Mourinho added. "Everything about Di Maria is different."
Some see him as a modern-day Luis Figo, another winger who was about power first and foremost, and whose technical skills allowed him to be devastating when coming inside from wide areas. Not that Di Maria is perfect, as he is the first to admit.
He is not particularly good in the air, his range of passing is not great and he does not score very often. "I'm no Cristiano Ronaldo," he joked last year. "I can improve a lot, but I will never be like him."
Maybe not. But that is a bit like saying your Porsche will never be a Lamborghini. Most of the time, if you need to get somewhere fast, the Porsche will more than do the job. And that explains why most of Europe's big clubs are knocking on Vieira's door.
gmarcotti@thenational.ae
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.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
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
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
THE%20SPECS
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EXPATS
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SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
