AS Monaco wrapped up the season with their 12th consecutive win Saturday – 3-2 to Stade Rennais – officially claiming the title of French Ligue 1 champions.
The victory celebrations included a private concert starring 50 Cent, which took place on Sunday at 6 pm under the big top at Fontvieille, a change of venue from the square in front of the Palais Princier. Monaco season ticket holders were included in the festivities.
Photo: Palais Princier
The players were received earlier in the evening by Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, and young Prince Jacques, wearing a personalised club jersey, at the Prince’s Palace.
HSH Princess Charlene told Monaco Life, “It was a lovely evening in the gardens of the palace and a wonderful way to celebrate the team’s victory.”
The Princess, who is hosting the Riviera Water Bike Challenge on June 4, added, “It was great to be able to introduce Jacques to the team – he was certainly fascinated by the trophy.”
Prince Albert was given an early Father’s Day gift from his wife and children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella: an AS Monaco jersey with “Best Dad” on the back. Princess Charlene came up with the thoughtful surprise knowing that Prince Albert is probably the football club’s most avid supporter.
The team arrived at 4:30 pm and stayed several hours before heading to the 50 Cent performance in Fontvieille.
Guests at SMEG’s E+ Trophy ceremony. Photo: Charly Gallo/Communications Department
Monaco’s electrical power operator, SMEG, has continued its commitment to cleaner energy with the presentation of prizes for “green” energy use. The E+ Trophy ceremony took place on Saturday, May 13, in the presence of the Minister of State, HE Serge Telle and HE Bernard Fautrier, CEO of the PA2F, along with Thomas Battaglione, Managing Director of SMEG.
SMEG has rewarded the commitment of many Monegasque companies, as well as individuals, all of whom have contributed to a lower consumption of energy that is more respectful of the environment.
E+ is an environmental label awarded to individuals, institutions or companies that are part of a partnership with SMEG to act and contribute to the energy transition initiated by the Sovereign Prince, the Minister of State and his Government.
The E+ Trophies awarded last Saturday represent two themes: SMEG’s thanks for the trust placed in us by its customers, and above all, the congratulations to the Government of Monaco for its commitment to the environment.
More than a hundred guests were invited last Saturday for this important day organised in parallel with the Monaco Formula E.
An event placing a Cypriot artist centre stage opens next week. Les Galeries Kapatays in Cyprus, in collaboration with the Galerie Carré Doré Monte-Carlo, present: “Dreams of Reality,” a solo exhibition by the artist and architect Yiannis Stylianides.
The showing puts in focus his own technique – “Torchage constructif” – in which his famous wood panels depicting panoramic town views are intermingled with sculptures of the human form in fibreglass, providing an artistic counterpoint.
The exhibition, held under the patronage of the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Monaco, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, runs from June 1, with an opening reception at 7 pm through June 8.
The Carré Doré gallery at 5 rue Princesse Caroline is open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm.
Johnny Depp has been having trouble selling his 15-hectare luxury property between Saint-Tropez and Cannes. Originally offered at €50 million, the estate is now being offered for €23 million.
The Plan-de-la-Tour domain boasts a veritable village, complete with a restaurant-bar, a fitness centre, several guest houses for invited friends, housing for employees, a children’s play room and, perhaps most surprising of all, a chapel.
Depp has been in the news most recently because of his court battle with his former business managers. While Depp, who has a reputation for lavish, if not reckless, spending, has accused his former money managers of incompetence and mismanagement, while the opposing side claims that their former client overspent to such an extent that he ran into serious financial problems.
He was also accused by his former wife, Amber, of violent behaviour. The couple split in 2015.
Depp’s problems go further back. In 2003, in the early days of Depp’s Hollywood career, his former business partner in a Hollywood nightclub notorious for its drugs culture, Tony Fox, vanished just days before a court case was due to be heard in which Fox, the 49-percent shareholder, alleged gross mismanagement, a legal fight he was expected to win.
Although there is no evidence that Depp was involved, the disappearance has never been solved, despite the opening of a murder enquiry. Depp later signed over his share in the Sunset Strip nightclub to Fox’s daughter and by then he was living in France with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis.
One of AS Monaco’s star players, Radamel Falcao, is facing a court case in Spain after prosecutors applied for a judge to charge him with defrauding the Spanish tax authority of almost $6.1 million from 2012-13.
Prosecutors have accused Falcao of evading taxes after signing for Atletico Madrid in 2011. The striker stayed for two seasons before joining Monaco in 2013. Loaned to Manchester United and Chelsea, the Colombian strikes failed to find his form and was dogged by injuries. However, since returning to Monaco for the current season, he has rediscovered his panache and has been one of the team’s top scorers.
Spanish prosecutors have also accused Real Madrid’s Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao of trying to defraud tax authorities of almost $1.4 million in 2011. Lionel Messi of Barcelona and his father were sentenced last year to 21 months in prison for tax fraud. They did not serve jail time because sentences of less than two years for first offences are usually suspended in Spain.
Our series on Monaco’s Brazilian community crosses the finish line with racing car driver Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna. Photo: Shivraj Gohil/Spacesuit Media
ML: You were born in San Paulo, Brazil. Can you talk about your childhood memories and what is was like to have racing legend Ayrton Senna in your family? BS: My childhood was a lot of fun. I have two sisters, one older and one younger than me, and we were always very close. We used to go a lot to our family’s farm during weekends and to the beach house for summer holidays. As a child, it was hard to grasp just how important Ayrton was. We always had a great time when he was in Brazil and really this is what I cared about.
ML: When do you remember wanting to become a race car driver or was there anything else you considered as a profession? BS: I got my racing desires very early, and was driving go-karts from the age of 5. After Ayrton passed away and I could no longer race, my plan was to have a career that would let me keep motor racing as a hobby, so, while I was at university, I went to work in my family’s businesses to get some experience in a variety of fields. In fact, I started racing again while I was at uni and ended-up leaving Brazil to concentrate on it. My biggest goal as a racing driver is to win world championships and Le Mans, but it’s important to take it step-by-step.
ML: What does it mean for you to be Brazilian? BS: I think that every Brazilian is proud to be Brazilian. We have our issues as a nation, but we do thrive against the odds in so many situations. People are very friendly and welcoming and most people that go to Brazil really love the country. We are definitely struggling with political and economic issues at the moment, and the Rio Olympics is a big expense when those resources could be used for the basic infrastructure we so badly need. So, since the investment has been made, I hope we can do a good job and the athletes get the event they deserve.
ML: How did you end up living in Monaco and do you miss anything from home? BS: I lived in London while I was doing all the base championships and when I moved to F1 in 2010 I had the opportunity to come to Monaco. Monaco is a very attractive place for me, the weather is fantastic, the temperatures are good for most of the year, and being near the sea makes me feel more at home. For fitness training, it’s absolutely perfect as I can go cycling or running along the coast or in the mountains, and go swimming in the sea. I spoke a little bit of French before coming to Monaco and I had lots of friends living here, so it wasn’t that hard to settle. What I miss most about Brazil, apart from my friends and family, is the food – like Pão de Queijo and Churrasco, and Guarana is the only soft drink that I drink every once in a while – I have even found a little shop in Beausoleil that sells it. For the most part, though, I’m very settled into the European lifestyle.
ML: At the Historic Grand Prix in May, there were strong comments made about how today’s F1 drivers do not share the camaraderie and friendship of your uncle’s generation, that because of the technology involved with the cars, teams are much more secretive and private. Would you agree with this?
BS: F1 is a very competitive environment and it’s a fact that drivers aren’t as close as they were in the golden ages. The championships I’ve been competing in since F1 have been much nicer between teams and drivers and I really enjoy it.
ML: There’s a great debate about Formula 1 vs Formula E, as far as the thrill and excitement for spectators and securing sponsors. As you have driven for both series, do you see the future of auto-racing using clean technology reaching the same following as Formula 1? BS: I currently drive for McLaren GT in some races at the Blancpain Endurance series, as well as LMP2 in WEC with RGR Sport and I did 2 seasons of Formula E with Mahindra Racing, so very busy times. The Formula E car is a very different animal to drive and to race, when compared to normal combustion engine cars. The race is very strategic and close, so quite a lot of fun and I do believe that in a few years we’ll see the technology developing quickly and cars will be faster and ever closer to normal combustion cars. It’s hard to say how far Formula E will go, as it’s pushing some serious boundaries. I love the premise of the championship; the following is growing steadily and hope it will continue growing bigger and bigger.
ML: I read that you were very close with your uncle and that he used to take you to the São Paulo’s go-kart tracks when you were five years old. What’s the best piece of advice your uncle ever gave you? BS: Ayrton and I used to race at my family’s farm where we had a small go-kart track when I was a kid. He could only be there a few times per year as he was always travelling around the world with F1, but we had good times and most things he taught me were by experience, rather than telling me. He was a good teacher and I learned a lot about machines and, like everyone else that knows him, life values.
ML: Tell us about the Instituto Ayrton Senna (IAS). How are you involved? BS: The Instituto Ayrton Senna is a foundation that focuses on education for under-privileged children and teenagers all around Brazil. It was created by my mother Viviane back in 1995 following a conversation she had with Ayrton before he passed away, when he recognised how lucky he was to have had the opportunities in life to achieve everything he did. So the IAS partners with local governments and companies all around Brazil to improve and restructure the school systems and to give children the education they deserve. As I can’t be involved on a daily basis, I’m an Ambassador and try to develop awareness for it, and to involve companies and people to help widen its scope.
ML: What’s your favourite toy at the moment? BS: Racing quadcopters that I’ve been building for the last year or so. I really enjoy flying them through small spaces and in fast, close proximity with a first-person-view system that feels like you’re flying inside of it.
