Xabi Alonso has been confirmed as the next manager of Real Madrid with the Spaniard's reign set to kick-off at this summer's Fifa Club World Cup.
Alonso, 43, left his role as Bayer Leverkusen coach following their final Bundesliga game of the season – a 2-2 draw at Mainz – after two-and-half seasons in Germany.
He has signed a three-year deal with Madrid where he made more than 230 appearances during a hugely successful spell as a player between 2009 and 2014.
Alonso takes over from veteran Carlo Ancelotti whose trophy-laden second spell as coach has ended in a disappointing finale with Real relinquishing the European and Spanish titles. Ancelotti is leaving Real to become the first foreign manager of Brazil.
Real's first game at the new Club World Cup is against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in Miami on June 18 with Mexican outfit Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg of Austria completing the Group H line-up.
Alonso's contract starts on June 1 with Real describing him in a club statement as a club “legend and one of the greatest players in world football history”.
He will be officially unveiled as manager in Madrid Monday at 1.30pm UAE time.
Basque-born Alonso started his playing career at Real Sociedad before going on to star in midfield for three of Europe's biggest clubs in Liverpool, Real and finally Bayern Munich.
He would make 701 career appearances, scoring 44 goals, winning two Uefa Champions League crowns, the Uefa Super Cup as well as one La Liga and three Bundesliga titles.
Alonso also starred for Spain winning 114 caps during a sparkling period that saw the national team win one Fifa World Cup and two Uefa European Championships.
His coaching career began back at Real Sociedad where he took charge of the B team in 2019 before being replacing the sacked Gerardo Seoane as Bayer Leverkusen manager in October 2022.
The German side were second bottom of the table having taken just five points from eight games – their worst start to a campaign since 1979.
But Alonso's reign started with a 4-0 thrashing of Schalke and he would guide Leverkusen to an impressive sixth-place finish, earning a place in the following season's Uefa Europa League.
What followed over the next 12 months would earn Alonso a place in German football folklore as Leverkusen went on to win their first ever Bundesliga crown, finishing the season unbeaten in 34 games.
As well as ending Bayern Munich's 11-season stranglehold on the Meisterschale, Leverkusen would also go on to complete the domestic double by beating second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final.
Serie A side Atlanta would deny Leverkusen a stunning treble when they ran out 3-0 winners in the Europa League final which ended a 51-game unbeaten run for Alonso's men.
“The second season was a historic season, it was a dream season with great nights, great games and we made history,” Alonso said after announcing his Leverkusen exit last week.
Following up such a successful campaign was always going to be problematic, despite Alonso turning down potential opportunities to take over at former clubs Bayern and Liverpool to stay on as Die Werkself coach.
Leverkusen soon fell to their first Bundesliga defeat in 35 matches – and 462 days – when they lost 3-2 at RB Leipzig at the end of August.
Their German Cup reign was ended in the semi-finals by third-tier Arminia Bielefeld while Leverkusen were humbled 5-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Bavarians would also win back the Bundesliga title with Vincent Kompany beating Alonso to the Meisterschale in the Belgian's first season as coach with the Bavarians currently 11 points clear at the top with one game to play.
Alonso then officially announced that his time at Leverkusen would be ending after the Mainz match.
His final home game in charge ended in a disappointing 4-2 defeat by Borussia Dortmund when Alonso was given a hero's reception by supporters at an emotional BayArena.
“It’s a great club to come to and to enjoy; the main thing is the football [they appreciate] and that is why I have been very happy,” Alonso told bundesliga.com. “I can only say that I’m really thankful to everyone.
“This club will stay forever in my heart,” Alonso added. “The result doesn't matter, it wasn't the most important thing.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20profile
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Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
RESULTS
6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko
7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
more from Janine di Giovanni
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The five pillars of Islam
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
