15 ° C
Profile

Tag: monaco

AS Monaco’s ‘La Diagonale’ academy centre inaugurated

by: Luke Entwistle
12/09/2022

La Diagonale, AS Monaco’s academy training complex, was inaugurated on Thursday just days after the historic inauguration of the club’s performance centre in La Turbie.

Called ‘La Diagonale,’ the building, which houses AS Monaco’s academy, is located just a stone’s throw away from the Stade Louis II. The arches of the iconic stadium can be seen from the windows of the modern complex, and act as a visual reminder both for the young players, as well as the staff, as to why they carry out the work they do.

The building, situated in Cap d’Ail, was completed in 2020, but the Covid pandemic delayed its official inauguration, which happened on Thursday in the presence of Prince Albert II and Monaco CEO Jean-Emmanuel de Witt.

As de Witt told Monaco Life, the construction of La Diagonale, as well as the performance centre perched upon the hill that overlooks the Principality, are “inextricably linked.”

“This year we took the decision to create the ‘Elite Group’ rather than playing in National 2. Why did we do that? Because we want to reduce the gap between the young players and the professional players. The two infrastructures that you’ve seen this week, in the space of just a few days, work hand in hand,” said de Witt. “It [the construction of La Diagonale] fits completely into the club’s philosophy. We recruit players very, very early [scouting as young as 10 and recruiting from 13]. Then we train them in football, but also in Monégasque football. Every team has its style and so it’s very important, both in terms of values and in terms of football, that we can train them to develop within our professional squad in the future. That’s what we hope.”

Monaco are well-known as a formatory club, and so the new centre, which brings together all elements of day-to-day life under one roof, is important to withhold that image. However, the most important thing is the development of these players, not just as footballers, but as humans, as was stressed during Monaco Life’s tour of the facilities.

A gym, a swimming pool, a medical department, classrooms and accommodation are all on sight, minimising lost time through travelling between sites. As youth goalkeeper Alain Zadi, who has often trained with the club’s first team, told Monaco Life, “Everything we need is here.”

On an educational level, the academy is already producing stellar results, with the club maintaining a 100% success record in the baccalaureat three years on the trot. And the results are showing on the pitch. Benoît Badiashile, Eliot Matazo, Maghnes Akliouche and Soungoutou Magassa are just the latest in a long line of academy products that have gone on to lay for the club’s professional side.

La Diagonale allows the club to perpetuate the it’s philosophy of promoting and trusting young players, whilst also showcasing the best of Monégasuqe football and attracting the best youth to the club. That’s a winning combination, which the club hope will allow them to consolidate their position amongst the European elite and hunt for more silverware in the immediate, as well as the distant future.

 

 

 

Photo: Ekaterina Rybolovleva, Prince Albert II and  Juan Sartori by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life.

 

 

 

 

Verstappen wins in Monza, Leclerc takes second

by: Luke Entwistle
11/09/2022

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen overcame a five-place grid penalty to win the Italian GP on Sunday in a highly strategic race as Ferrari let it slip on their home turf.

Monégasque driver Charles Leclerc lined up on pole position having narrowly beaten Verstappen, who had a five-place grid penalty, which dropped him to seventh. Teammate Carlos Sainz finished third on Saturday, but a grid penalty saw him drop back to 18th.

It was English driver George Russell who therefore lined-up next to Leclerc on the front row of the grid on Sunday. Leclerc comfortably held his lead off the grid, but the real danger was further back. By the first corner of the second lap, Verstappen had already made his way up to third.

The reigning world champion clearly had pace, as he has in recent races. But this race was as much decided by strategic calls and tyre degradation as it was by raw pace. Leclerc saw an opportune moment to make an (almost) free stop under a virtual safety car, and took it.

However, it was too early, and Verstappen could hugely extend his first stint, allowing to take the advantage of his increasingly distant title rival. A pit stop in Monza is said to cost around 24 seconds, the longest on the F1 calendar. The decision to stop Leclerc twice, compared to Verstappen’s one-stop strategy, was the latest in a series of questionable Ferrari tactical calls.

Without having to overtake Leclerc on track, Verstappen inherited the lead of the race. A late safety car following a technical failure to Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren looked to give Leclerc another chance of snatching the victory in front of the adoring Tifosi that had attended en-masse throughout the weekend.

However, there wasn’t enough time to restart and the race finished behind the safety car, to the disappointment of everyone, even Verstappen, who was ultimately the major benefactor of the decision.

As a result, Leclerc remains truly cut adrift from Verstappen, who could wrap up consecutive titles in the coming races. 116 points currently separate the duo, who at the beginning of the season were inseparable both in the standings and on-track. Russell rounded off the podium and Sainz had a magnificent recovery drive to secure fourth.

In front of their home fans, it was ultimately a disappointing weekend. There is a tacit acceptance that the title is over, but there was hope of a Ferrari win, which could spark scenes similar to those experienced during Leclerc’s win in 2019. It wasn’t to be.

Monza, however, is always special for Ferrari, and therefore for Leclerc. “Monza is always incredible. Starting from pole, I did want to take the win. However, that’s not how it went today. Seeing the tifosi under the podium made it a lot better.”

Due to the cancellation of the Russian GP, there is now a gap in the calendar, and there isn’t a race until Singapore in early October.

 

 

Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

 

Violence mars Nice’s Europa Conference opener

by: Luke Entwistle
09/09/2022

Clashes between OGC Nice’s ultras and the travelling FC Köln fans overshadowed the Europa Conference League opener at the Allianz Riviera on Thursday.

The fights, which were instigated by the travelling Köln fans who descended on Nice in droves, almost led to the postponement of the match. RMC had reported that the match had been called off completely amidst great uncertainty, diffusing the situation briefly, until a 55-minute delay to the 18:45 match was announced.

The build-up to the ugly scenes was incremental. It is reported that as many as 10,000 Köln fans made the trip to Nice for the opening gameweek of the Europa Conference League, the third tier of European football.

Many of them gathered in Place Masséna, Nice’s main square, during the day time. Whilst the gathering passed largely without incident, Nice’s official store, which is located within the square, was vandalised by a Köln ultras group. Local authorities later announced that they would be billing the club for the damages.

The problems started on the way to the stadium itself, which is located kilometres away from the city centre. In the sweltering heat, many marched to the stadium from the city centre in a journey that took approximately three hours, Köln fans revealed to Monaco Life.

Others opted for the tram which, apart from driving, is the only other method of getting to the stadium. It had been known that Köln fans would arrive en-masse, and figures of 10,000 fans were touted days before the match. However, seemingly, no measures were taken to cope with this huge influx of people.

Not only were no extra trams put on, but delays to the service meant that line 3 trams were packed to the brim with Köln and Nice fans. Difficulties continued upon arrival at the stadium. In the Nice end, fans were told that they would not be allowed to bring bags into the stadium, a rule that had not been enforced previously, causing delays.

According to Köln fans that spoke to Monaco Life, the food and drinks bars were woefully understaffed with reports of waits for drinks of over 40 minutes. But it was in the stands themselves that the real chaos had descended. Köln fans, situated at the complete opposite end of the ground, made their way – unopposed – to the other side of the stadium before launching flares at the small crowd of Nice Ultras.

Photo by Luke Entwistle

Ugly scenes ensued. According to L’Équipe, 32 people were injured in the mass brawls, which included launching missiles and flares. One of those injured is in a serious condition having fallen five metres into the stand below.

There are reports that fans of the now unrecognised PSG ultras group ‘Supras’ had infiltrated the Köln away stand, as well as fans of rival German team Borussia Dortmund. In attendance at the match, Monaco Life can confirm that a ‘Supras’ flag was present in the away end. It has also been confirmed that two of those injured are part of the Parisian group.

As a result of the unfettered chaos within the stadium, the entrances to the stands were closed as security forces grappled to regain control of the situation. Köln fans reported being locked out of the stadium for almost an hour.

In the meantime, it was unclear as to whether any football would be played. Journalists and fans were left in the dark until a tannoy announcement, after the scheduled kick-off time, reported that the game would kick-off at 19:40. It has been reported that local authorities and the Nice president, Jean-Pierre Rivère, had pushed for the game to be postponed.

Köln captain Jonas Hector came onto the pitch to calm the travelling fans, whilst urging them to support the team in the right way. Thereafter the situation calmed and the match went ahead, eventually finishing 1-1.

In order to avoid further trouble, Nice fans were designated buses to return to the city, and only Köln fans could return via tram.

The incident raises major questions about the local authorities’ handling of major sporting events. Their solution so far to the problem has been to prevent away fans from travelling to Nice, as was the case when Marseille played the club a couple of weeks ago. However, when they are unable to do so, as is the case with European fixtures, they have no answer and the scenes in the city centre, on the public transport system, and in and around the stadium attest to that.

Lessons must be learnt, and quickly, in order to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes that, not for the first time, have dominated a major sporting event on the Riviera.

 

 

Photo above by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

Prince inaugurates archeology museum in Corsica

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/09/2022

Prince Albert II has travelled to the town of Lucciana, in Corsica, to officially inaugurate the Archaeological Museum of Mariana – Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Open for more than a year, the exhibition and research space, a Musée de France, presents objects that have been discovered in excavations of the Roman and early Christian site of Mariana.

Surrounded by a large Monegasque delegation including those from the Palace, the Government, the National Council and the Municipal Council, and in the presence of high-ranking Corsican personalities, Prince Albert toured the contemporary museum, which traces a part of ancient history and medieval Corsica.

Photo credit: Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

In 2003, Prince Rainier III and Hereditary Prince Albert, accompanied by 200 pilgrims from the Principality, commemorated in the Cathedral of Canonica in Lucciana the 17th centenary of the martyrdom of Saint Devota, patroness of the Principality and of Corsica.

The links between Monaco and Lucciana have continued to strengthen since the twinning of the two municipalities in 2009. As the cradle and place of martyrdom of the protector of the Sovereign Family, the Corsican municipality belongs to the network of Grimaldi historic sites of Monaco. Prince Albert took advantage of this trip to officially unveil, in the company of local Mayor José Galletti, the sign indicating membership of this association.

Lucciana will participate in the 4th meeting of Grimaldi Historic Sites which will take place in June 2023 at the Place du Palais.

 

Photos credit: Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

 

 

 

Embolo gives Monaco winning start in Serbia

by: Luke Entwistle
09/09/2022

AS Monaco edged a narrow victory against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia on Thursday, as Philippe Clement’s men got their Europa League campaign off to the perfect start.

The importance of the result mustn’t be underestimated, nor should the performance put in to achieve it be undervalued. As Philippe Clement pointed-out post-match, before Monaco’s victory, only one other team has come away with the win from the Red Star stadium in European competition in the last three years.

It is also, theoretically, the club’s toughest fixture of the group stages. Whilst the trips to Ferencváros and Trabzonspor will prove challenging, Monaco have already faced the top-ranked side away.

Just as it was against Nice, Monaco’s game plan was based upon defensive strength and verticality in the transitions. Their first chance came from one such transition. Aleksandr Golovin won the ball back, feeding it into Wissam Ben Yedder, who put Mohamed Camara in on goal, but the Malian international’s effort curled just wide.

It was a game of few gilt-edged chances in the Serbian cauldron, but Monaco still had to rely on goalkeeper Alexander Nübel to make some important saves to keep the scores level.

Monaco got their opener in rather innocuous circumstances. A harmless cross was played over the head of Golovin, who whilst trying to turn and retrieve the ball was clipped and sent tumbling, with the referee pointing to the spot.

Breel Embolo, who scored the only goal at Nice on Sunday stepped up to drive the penalty home and continue his impressive start in Monégasuqe colours. Monaco could have had a second when the referee pointed to the spot again after Embolo was felled in the box. However, VAR replays showed that the Red Star defender had got a touch on the ball and the original decision was rightly overturned.

That decision was ultimately inconsequential as Monaco held on for the victory. Despite the victory, Clement bemoaned Monaco’s end-product, saying that his team “lacked the final ball.” Therefore, despite consecutive victories, there are areas still for improvement. Clement will be hoping that his side has more of a cutting edge when Lyon visit the Stade Louis II on Sunday evening.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco

 

 

 

 

 

New-look Ferrari head into Italian GP with a familiar feeling

by: Luke Entwistle
08/09/2022

The tifosi will descend en masse on Monza this weekend to cheer on Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz during an Italian GP that will ultimately feel inconsequential to the title race.

The Italian GP has thrown up many surprises in recent years. Pierre Gasly got his first, and so far only, race win at the iconic circuit in 2020, whilst last year, McLaren secured a one-two with Daniel Ricciardo taking the chequered flag.

Few are expecting a surprise winner this weekend, but the major surprise is the way in which the title race is poised, or not, going into the race weekend itself. This was supposed to be a triumphant return for Ferrari, a pivotal race in the constructors and drivers’ titles. Such was the expectation pre-season and during the opening races, that it was almost unfathomable to think that by the beginning of September there would be a run-away championship leader, even more so if one was to say that the runaway leader wasn’t even at the wheel of a Ferrari single-seater.

But this is the reality for Ferrari. Although there will be the usual fanfare that accompanies the event, the on-track action is likely to feel utterly inconsequential. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen now has a lead of over four race wins with just eight races remaining. Only a collapse of epic and unprecedented proportions will deny the Dutch driver consecutive titles. Speaking after Verstappen’s fourth consecutive win in the Netherlands last weekend, Leclerc all but threw in the towel, admitting that the gap is “now really big”.

So, Ferrari head into the race in an all too familiar position in recent seasons. They may be able to race for the win, but they aren’t in the race for titles. Few would have thought that to be the case when Leclerc stormed to pole and took the race win at the opening race in Bahrain.

Ferrari have, however, been handed a boost. The Mercedes has looked resurgent in recent races, and whilst they still lack straight-line speed, they were nonetheless expecting to challenge the Ferrari for the “best-of-the-rest title”. However, Lewis Hamilton is set to start from the back of the grid after taking an engine penalty. They will therefore only have George Russell to contend with.

And whilst Ferrari come into their home race with the familiar feeling of being out of the championship race, they do so with unfamiliar livery. There will be a temporary sprinkling of yellow added to the car, whilst Sainz and Leclerc will be dressed in yellow and black to mark 75 years since Scuderia was founded, which, along with blue, is one of the colours of the Modena emblem.

Ferrari may not be in the front for the title, but they remain in the hunt for race wins, and regardless of the larger context, a win at Monza will do a lot to lift the mood of the tifosi, who are dreaming of a repeat of 2019.

 

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre