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ASM transfer round-up: Pellegri, Badiashile, Eriksen

by: Luke Entwistle
26/01/2022
AS Monaco's Performance Centre, La Turbie

It has been far from a revolving door at Monaco in this January window with only one incoming and one outgoing. With just days left, the focus is seemingly on player retention.

Vanderson’s arrival on the opening day of the window has not been built upon. Instead, Paul Mitchell, in collaboration with new manager Philippe Clement, have decided to trust in their current squad. Wilson Isidor has been the only player to depart thus far, but with vultures hovering, the Principality club will be looking to avoid losing their star assets in the closing stages.

Benoit Badiashile – linked by L’Equipe to Monaco. Since the Geordie club’s takeover, they have been looking to splash the cash, already bringing in Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood. They are, however, still looking for defensive reinforcements and have been in intense discussions with the Principality club about bringing Badiashile to Tyneside. L’Equipe, amongst others, reported that Monaco rejected a €40 million offer from Newcastle for their promising young centre-back earlier in the window. They remain undeterred. Discussions have continued and the centre-back’s future at the club will likely remain in-limbo until the window shuts.

Pietro Pellegri – linked by Gianluca Di Marzio to Torino. Pellegri’s departure is more planned and would prove much less disruptive than if Badiashile were to leave. The Italian striker is in the middle of a not so fruitful spell on loan to AC Milan. He has yet to score since his arrival in the summer, yet talks initially revolved around the Italian side securing a permanent deal for the Italian before loaning him out. Those talks seemingly broke down.

The most likely scenario is now a severance of ties with AC Milan, and another loan to Italian rivals Torino. It is currently unclear as to whether there will be a purchase option in the contract. This is one of the more likely deals to be concluded before the end of the window.

Christian Eriksen – linked by Nicolo Schiara to AS Monaco. In terms of incomings at the Principality club, it has been a quiet window. They got an excellent bit of business wrapped up early with the purchase of Vanderson, but have been seemingly reluctant to delve back into the market. Very few players have even been linked with a move to Monaco, and it remains the case that Monaco’s policy regarding incomings is likely to be based on outgoings. One spectacular rumour that has emerged is the potential arrival of Christian Eriksen.

The Danish midfielder, who suffered an on-pitch cardiac arrest in this summer’s European Championships, has been without a club since Serie A regulation meant it wouldn’t be possible to honour his contract with Inter Milan. He is therefore available on a free, and so the transfer is not obliged to go through before the deadline. A deal, although a possibility, does seem unlikely. The Athletic have recently reported that English club Brentford have offered the Dane a contract, and an agreement could be wrapped up in the coming days.

Monaco will be hoping for a quiet end to the window, in which retaining their young talents has been the priority. The retention of Badiashile, as well as the much coveted Aurelien Tchouameni, would therefore likely constitute a successful window.

 

Photo of AS Monaco training stadium in La Turbie by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

Prince’s photo competition returns for 2nd edition

by: Stephanie Horsman
25/01/2022

The Prince Albert II Foundation Environmental Photography Award contest is back and inviting photographers to reflect on the human relationship with nature as well as on the link between human and planetary health.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Prince Albert II Foundation in 2021, a photo contest was launched and the response was nothing short of astounding. More than 5,700 images were submitted, resulting in an exhibition that has travelled from Monaco to Rome and is continuing its journey into this year.

Now for 2022, professional and amateur photographers are being called on to put forward their most splendid nature photos for the 2nd edition of the Environmental Photography Award.

Entries will be accepted until 20th March and this year there are five categories to choose from, including Polar Wonders, Beneath the Canopy, Life Under the Surface, Humanity Versus Nature, and Toward a Sustainable Future.

The contest, a collective effort put on by the Prince Albert II Foundation, Barclays Private Bank and SEK International University, is a way for creative talent to put their skills to good use by raising environmental protection awareness.

The best of the best will be presented at an exhibition that will start in the Principality and be exported to cities around the globe. Additionally, the shots will be elegantly portrayed in a book which will be distributed to the Foundation’s partners and benefactors.

The jury is made up of professional photographers and include President of the Jury Daisy Gilardini, Ragnar Axelsson, Laurent Ballesta, Nick Danziger, Frederick Dharshie Wissah, Sergio Pitamitz, Kathleen Ricker, and Ami Vitale.

The grand prize will go to the PA2F Environmental Photographer of the Year 2022 and will include a €5,000 grant, an expenses paid invite to visit the Amazon Research Station of the University of Ecuador to do a photo documentary in the heart of the Ecuadorian jungle, and invitation to the 2022 award exhibit in Monaco and public relations support from the Foundation via its numerous communications channels.

Each of the five category winners will receive a €1,000 grant and public relations support equal to that of the grand prize winner.

Additionally, there will be a Public Award, which is selected by the world community from the shortlisted photographs, giving the winner a €1,000 grant.  

Last year’s winner was 2022 jurist Kathleen Ricker, whose incredible image of a young male gorilla in Uganda stole the show.

The Prince Albert II Foundation has been vocally advocating the protection of the environment for over a decade and a half and has become a well-regarded NGO touting sustainable development education and nature preservation. The foundation has contributed to nearly 700 projects whose focus has been climate change, biodiversity and water in three priority areas: the Mediterranean basin, the Polar regions and in the world’s least development countries.

Entry is free by going to the website and registering at https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/photography-awards/pa2faward-2022/#section-1893

 

 

Photo of 2021 winner by Kathleen Ricker 

 

 

 

Chanel celebrated in exceptional ballet

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/01/2022

Modanse, starring prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova and members of the Bolshoi Ballet, will present two exceptional performances dedicated to dance, music and beautiful costumes this April.

As far as spectacles go, this one rates high on the charts. Acclaimed Bolshoi prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova will be on stage two nights at the Grimaldi Forum in April, for not just one, but two strikingly different dances in one single performance.

Zakharova, who is notable for being the first and only Russian Etoile at La Scala, will be dancing in a double bill by MuzArts entitled Modanse. The show commences with Come un Respiro (Like a Breath), a celebration of George Frideric Handel’s Baroque style music complemented by a dance choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti and elegant costumes designed by Helena de Medeiros.

The second part of the performance will be the ballet Gabrielle Chanel, a tribute to the fashion icon and legend. The show takes the audience through Coco Chanel’s journey from an obscure provincial singer to becoming an enduring household name in the world of fashion and design. Her connection to the ballet was cemented over the years through her collaborations with great artists and choreographers including Serge Diaghilev, founder of Ballets Russes.

The show will feature over 80 costumes that were specially designed by Chanel Creative Studio Creative Director Virginie Viard and will use archived photos and videos to further enhance the beauty of the event.

Svetlana Zakharova will be joined on stage by a star-studded cast of dancers from the Bolshoi ballet, including Jacopo Tissi, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Mikhail Lobukhin, Denis Savin, Anastasia Stashkevich and Ana Turazashvili.

Modanse, organised by Luxpro and Valna Management Muzarts Production, is coming to the Grimaldi Forum’s Salle des Princes on the 7th and 8th April.

 

 

Restoration of Boulevard du Larvotto underway

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/01/2022

As steady progress continues on Testimonio II, the project’s partners are initiating works to restore Boulevard du Larvotto to its original state, allowing for traffic flow to return to normal.

Road works will begin on 24th January to revisit the original outline of Boulevard du Larvotto. Groupe Marcozzo and VINCI Immoblier will be in charge of the project which will connect the new section to the historic road.

The operation will include some traffic disruptions that are expected to go on for two and a half months with completion in April. During this period, an alternating traffic system is being established to allow for access and to limit disruption.

As the works on the road start, network projects are simultaneously being worked on in Testimonio II’s public technical galleries, many of which will run under Boulevard du Larvotto. These networks will serve the entire district, including the thalassothermy network incorporated by the government.

This will require another alternating traffic situation running from April to mid-July, though exact dates have yet to be announced. This will signal the completion of this phase of works on the road, until 2024, when a roundabout will be created on the Boulevard to facilitate entry and exit from the car park at Testimonio II.

Testimonio II is one of the Principality’s largest construction projects currently underway. It will be made up of two residential towers with 348 state apartments and a 50-place creche, and will be the new home of the International School of Monaco, accommodating 700 pupils. Parking on 13 levels will accommodate 1,100 vehicles, including 850 for the state and public parking. There is also a private residence, Bay House, which will be comprised of 56 apartments and five villas.

The state apartments will account for roughly 10% of the country’s current stock and the total surface area of the project is approximately 150,000m2 using nearly 10,000m2 of land. The project will use 16,000 tonnes of steel and 120,000m3 of concrete. During peak times, there are more than 1,000 workers on site.

The project has not been without hiccoughs, though. They builders are working on a steep slope, reduced rights of way and with complicated hydro-geology and geotechnics.

The project was green lit in 2015, and has been progressing gradually, despite the pandemic, ever since. It is expected that the first tower and creche will be ready for occupation by the end of this year, with the second tower being complete in the 3rd quarter of 2023. The International School will be able to open its doors in 2023 as well. Finally, Bay House is set to be ready in 2024.

“Testimonio is more than a construction site for us: it is a major project for Monaco, which provides concrete solutions adapted to the needs of Monegasques and residents of the Principality,” said Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning. “It is also a project that requires going through many stages before seeing the end of the tunnel. We still have one important task left so that Boulevard du Larvotto can be returned to full traffic and alternating is the only solution: since the beginning of the year, we have been working with the promoter and the builder to adjust a device that allows for the completion of the work and will not cut off traffic.”

 

 

Image of the future Testimonio II project by DR, Monaco Government 

 

 

Natural cosmetics company joins forces with OceanoScientific

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/01/2022

Monaco-based designer of cosmetic actives Exsymol has signed on with OceanoScientific Expeditions Monaco. The partnership will help protect organisms living in little explored coral reefs and raise awareness among youth.

Monegasque firm Exsymol’s Chairman Pierre Bondon and Yvan Griboval of OceanoScientific signed the agreement to work together on 19th January at the Monaco Yacht Club.

Since 2006, OceanoScientific, created by sailing enthusiast and journalist Griboval, has been dedicated to enabling the scientific community and the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to expand their knowledge on the causes and effects of climate change on the seas.

This has been accomplished through daily data collection and atmospheric interfacing gleaned from sea-going craft from all over the globe.

Now, OceanoScientific can add Monaco’s Exsymol to its list of partners. Exsymol has been around since 1972 and is a creator and producer of active ingredients for skin care products, becoming a pioneer in using natural extracts and peptides combined with organic bioactive silicon to make products that use nature for “cosmedical solutions”. The company uses clean chemistry to provide customers with low-environmental impact products.  

This partnership signals the start of a relationship that will focus on safeguarding the genetic heritage of organisms found in little known or never-before explored coral reefs. They hope to be able to explore the reefs for the purpose of creating bio-mimics, or copies of things found in nature, for the benefit of science, health and well-being. Additionally, they aim to mobilse youth and encourage them to study ocean-related topics as career paths, thus encouraging love and respect for the sea.

After the signing, Exsymol’s Bondon stated that he was “delighted to take part in this adventure. Beyond the strong personal attraction to the sea, I am convinced that the future will go through a better knowledge of the ocean as well as gain an increased respect for this environment essential to life on Earth.  The missions of raising awareness for ocean protection and research of scientific data of OceanoScientific Expeditions correspond perfectly to the DNA of Exsymol.”  

For his part, Yvan Griboval was ready to “take on board with us a Monegasque company which bases its activities and its development on active principles derived from nature and with respect for it. Preserving the ocean and its biodiversity for future generations means being able to virtuously marry ecology and economy, where man is content with his rightful place in nature, with humility. Exsymol is sincere in its societal and environmental commitments. We therefore are proud to have them by our side in these new philanthropic expeditions in the service of science, and humanity.”

 

 SEE ALSO:

OceanoScientific welcomed home

OceanoScientific Contaminants Expedition

Sailor’s historic expeditions to help save the ocean

 

Photo: Exsymol’s Deputy Chairman Pierre Bondon and Yvan Griboval of OceanoScientific

 

 

 

“We must be ambitious”

by: Luke Entwistle
21/01/2022

Having secured his first victory as Monaco manager last weekend, Philippe Clement set out his more long-term ambitions in a pre-match conference before Sunday’s match against Montpellier.

On Friday, the Belgian manager told Monaco Life that he expects a tough challenge on Sunday, especially given his side’s difficulties on the road this season. “Montpellier have proved their quality over the past months. You see in the table that there isn’t much of a big points gap between us, so it’s a big match.” Clement added, “I’ve seen over the past months that Monaco hasn’t taken many points away from home, so it’s a challenge for the group to take the three points from there.”

Clement was also unequivocal in his ambition to climb the table, telling the assembled press that, “We can’t be happy being sixth (in the Ligue 1 table). We must be ambitious, but we mustn’t become nervous about the gap with other teams.”

The teams come into the fixture separated by only two points, but the conditions in which the respective camps come into the match could hardly be more disparate. Whilst Monaco have blossomed since Clement’s arrival, Montpellier are yet to win in Ligue 1 in 2022.

Last week’s defeat at home to relegation candidates Troyes was particularly damaging, with the red card picked up by Montpellier playmaker Teji Savanier leaving him suspended for Monaco’s visit.

Monaco, however, also come into the fixture with a depleted roster. Cesc Fabregas’ positive Covid test last week is a set-back in his return to the fore. Monaco Life attended group training in La Turbie on Friday and can confirm the ongoing absences of Benoit Badiashile, Myron Boadu and Djibril Sidibe, all of whom continue to recover from the muscular injuries picked up against Nantes. The latter did engage in some light personal training, but was not involved with the group. They are joined by Eliot Matazo, who was also absent from training on Friday.

Although Aleksandr Golovin is back in group training, Clement isn’t confident that the midfielder will be ready for Montpellier. Monaco will hope that his absence won’t be pivotal, and that they can build upon last week’s emphatic victory, and close the gap on the Champions League places.

 

Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life