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Lacklustre AS Monaco pick up unsatisfying draw

by: Luke Entwistle
29/11/2021

AS Monaco couldn’t back-up their midweek triumph against Real Sociedad on Sunday, as Nico Kovac’s men only managed a draw against fellow mid-table side Strasbourg, which saw them slip further adrift of the European places.
Kovac has previously questioned his players’ motivation in Ligue 1 fixtures, but this wasn’t evident in the opening stages of this fixture. Deploying a 4-4-2, AS Monaco got a lot of joy down the wings, especially down the left-wing where Ruben Aguilar and Aleksandr Golovin were producing nice combinations and providing lots of dangerous crosses.
One such cross from Aguilar found Wissam Ben Yedder in the box, who did well to control and get off a shot, which hit the inside of the post and rolled agonisingly along the line before being cleared. AS Monaco continued to dominate proceedings, and were disappointed not to receive a penalty as the ball seemingly struck the arm of a Strasbourg player in the box; to the dismay of the 3,500 strong crowd, VAR didn’t overturn the decision.
Monaco did, however, get the reward for their hard work just before the break. Kevin Volland was brought down in the box and Ben Yedder confidently converted the penalty to put the Principality side ahead on the stroke of half-time.
All of that hard work was, however, undone in an instant. Only seconds into the second-half, ex-Strasbourg player Youssouf Fofana did his former club a favour and brought down Ludovic Ajorque in the box to give the away side an unlikely route back unto the match. Ajorque then stepped up to take the penalty, and sent Aleksandr Nübel the wrong way.

What ensued was a disappointing, frustrating half of football as, despite a formation change and multiple substitutions, Kovac’s men failed to create any clear-cut opportunities to get back in-front. Volland, however, should have done better when he found himself unmarked on the edge of the box, but could only shoot tamely into the arms of Matz Sels in the Strasbourg goal. It was the shot of a striker low on confidence, and his lack of efficiency, coupled with his inability to hold the ball up, began to frustrate the home crowd, which was becoming increasingly restless as the half wore-on.
Despite their creative deficiencies, AS Monaco did muster one final opportunity. Myron Boadu, on as a substitute, found himself unmarked six yards out, but his volley, which was ultimately the final kick off the game, flew agonisingly wide. Cue the final whistle, accompanied by a chorus of boos from the dissatisfied Monaco faithful.
Kovac didn’t hide his disappointment post-match. “We weren’t at the level that we recorded three days ago against Real Sociedad… Overall, it wasn’t enough today, but the Angers match is coming up quickly, and we’ll have a new opportunity to do better.”
Kovac will be hoping for a victory away at Angers on Wednesday, which could ignite their stuttering league season, and help them close the gap on the European places.
 
 
Photo by Luke Entwistle for Monaco Life
 
 
 

CSM professor awarded for lifesaving research in cell therapy

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/11/2021

Professor Eliane Gluckman of the Scientific Centre of Monaco has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award of Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium, a very competitive award that recognises researchers who have made major contributions in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children.
The award crowns Professor Gluckman’s entire career dedicated to cell therapy research that has resulted in the life-saving treatment of children with leukemia or life-threatening hereditary diseases.
The distinction honours individuals whose work exemplifies the mission of the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium “To support research and education to improve the availability, safety and efficacy of hematopoietic cell transplantation and other cell therapies for children and adolescents”.
The award will be announced on Pediatric Day on 3rd February 2022 during the American Transplantation and Cell Therapy Society’s 2022 Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Meetings, to be held in Salt Lake City, United States.
Following the official award ceremony, Prof. Eliane Gluckman will have the opportunity to present the main achievements of her research and provide directions for research on pediatric transplants.
 
 
 

Karl Lagerfield auction: Treasured momentos of a discerning collector

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/11/2021

From Rolls-Royces to Choupette’s scratcher, these are some of Karl Lagerfeld’s treasured momentos set to go under Sotheby’s hammer at One Monte-Carlo, and you’ll be surprised at some of the prices.
Luxury auction house Sotheby’s was entrusted with the sale of Karl Lagerfeld’s personal estate after the designer’s death from prostate cancer in 2019. The lots, gathered from his residences in France and Monaco, are an anthology of his personal taste but also of his life and career.
The lots can be viewed in person from Saturday 27th November until Thursday 2nd December at One Monte-Carlo and the first session of sales is taking place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th December. The Monaco sale will present a broad selection of pieces, from precious art to household linens and glassware.

2017 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead coupé, source: Sotheby’s

Auction highlights include a Takashi Murakami portrait of Karl Lagerfeld estimated at between 80,000 and 120,000 euros, and a 2017 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead coupé, with a starting price of between 350,000 and 400,000 euros. Three of Lagerfeld’s Rolls Royce cars will be on display at the Fairmont Hotel until 6th December.
Not surprisingly, there is an incredible array of furniture designed by the likes of Louis Süe and André Mare, Terence Harold, and Christian Liaigre – all of which are in impeccable condition.
Art works include a Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus by Jeff Koons (20,000-30,000 euros), which comes complete with a bottle of champagne and the original box.
Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus by Jeff Koons, source: Sotheby’s

There a many personal items created at the hand of Karl Lagerfeld, such as a pencil self-portrait signed “KL à NY oct 86” (2,000 – 3,000 euros), while three inspirational “scrapbook” notebooks from the mid-80s provide a window into the magnificent mind of the designer. One with a cotton blanket is inscribed “Lagerfeld, man’s perfume, pub ideas 86”, and includes newspaper clippings and handwritten notes; another has newspaper articles and notes; and the third features some felt-tip sketches and an adhesive label “Karl Lagerfeld” on the cover (3,000 to 5,000 euros).
Three inspirational and “scrapbook” notebooks, mid-80s, source: Sotheby’s

With over a thousand items going under the hammer, Lagerfeld fans have a real chance of getting their hands on some of the designer’s personal items, including a set of five pairs of glasses adapted to Karl Lagerfeld’s vision for a starting bid of just 100-150 euros.
Lagerfeld’s signature look is also up for grabs, with numerous black jackets, matching lambskin gloves and sunglasses selling for an estimated 2,000 – 4,000 euros.
Dior Black and Multicolor Wool Jacket, circa 2000, comes with Causse gold lambskin pair of gloves and E.B. Meyrowitz sunglasses, source: Sotheby’s

Among the more bizarre lots is a personalised scratching pad for his beloved cat Choupette (50-100 euros), a plastic construction helmet with Karl Lagerfeld’s profile (50-100 euros), and numerous Lagerfeld figurines.
Bids can be made in person at One Monte-Carlo by telephone for estimates above 4,000 euros, or online.
So, who is set to benefit from the auction and inherit the fortune that it raises? It is not Choupette, his precious blue-cream tortie Birman cat, although that would be simpler. In his will are seven heirs who will share the fortune: Sebastien Jondeau, Lagerfeld’s famously handsome bodyguard, who was once a model; Baptiste Giabiconi, one of Lagerfeld’s favourite models; Caroline Lebar, one of Lagerfeld’s longest serving employees who worked on his public relations team; Francoise Cacote, his housekeeper and the personal maid of his cat, Choupette; father and son models Brad and Hudson Koenig, the latter of whom is Lagerfeld’s godson; and finally Jake Davies, a Yorkshire-born model who starred in several campaigns.
But the person responsible for executing Lagerfeld’s will – his “trusted” accountant of many decades Lucien Frydlender – has disappeared for “health reasons”. So who knows when the estate will be finalised.
The auction in Monaco will be followed by another Sotheby’s auction in Paris on 14th and 15th December.
To view all of the Monaco auction items, click here.
 
 
 
Top photo source: Sotheby’s
 
 
 
 

Masks outdoors, no dancing, health pass for terraces

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/11/2021

As Monaco gears up for Christmas celebrations, the government has announced that it will reinstate a number of restrictions due to an unprecedented rise in Covid circulation throughout the Principality.
Minister of State Pierre Dartout made the announcement in a press conference on Friday, saying the reinforcement of measures was designed to prevent the need for another lockdown.
Dartout said that from Saturday 27th November, masks will once again be mandatory outdoors, at all times, everywhere in Monaco.
Come Monday 29th, the validity of PCR tests will be reduced from 72 to 24 hours, a move that France initiated on Thursday as a way of encouraging more people to get vaccinated.
Working from home is also again “highly recommended” in the private and public sectors.
Brakes pulled on parties
Just as Monaco is gearing up for Christmas celebrations, the government also announced that standing cocktails and drinks is suspended in establishments from Monday; so too is dancing and karaoke.
Slowing the spread in schools
Restrictions have been reintroduced in schools, namely the wearing of masks for indoor sports, except for competitions, and the suspension of school swimming lessons. Combat and contact sports are also not allowed.
Health pass rule extended
Also from Monday 29th, the measures initially planned for 1st December will come into force, including the need for a health pass to consume inside and on the terrace of restaurants and bars. This also applies to young people aged 16 to 18.
The health pass will be required to access performance halls and meeting spaces when there are more than 300 people. This concerns, in particular, the Opera, the Princess Grace Theater and the Grimaldi Forum.
“In view of the epidemic rebound, the Government plans for 15th December to extend the obligation of the health pass to all people who work in places where the pass is required for the public who access it. This concerns restaurants, bars, nightclubs, as well as the Stade Louis II, the Grimaldi Forum and the Opera in particular,” said the government in a statement.
Spiraling health situation
The reinstatement of restrictions is due to a tripling of the incidence rate in three weeks, which is now as high as 346, and a positivity rate that has gone from 1.5 to 3.5%.
The new measures will last until at least 20th December.
 
 
Photo by Monaco Life
 
 
 

Ode to Princess Charlene in tree planting ceremony

by: Stephanie Horsman
25/11/2021

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Soroptimist Club, comprised of professional women around the globe, Prince Albert and the twins this week planted a South African jacaranda on the Casino Terraces.

The Soroptimist Club has only been in existence in the Principality for 42 years, but the club itself spans a century, with its first meeting held in 1921.

As a way of celebrating this milestone, the club invited Prince Albert II along with Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, their schoolmates and a CE1 class from Saint Charles School, to meet on the Terraces of the Casino on Wednesday 24th November to plant a special tree.

The chosen tree was symbolic in itself, a South African jacaranda, which was a nice homage to the roots of the absent Princess Charlene, the twins’ mother. 

Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department

The Soroptimist Club was founded in the United States and has a long history with trees, their first action back in 1921 being a drive to save a redwood forest led by then president of the club, Violet Richardson.

In Monaco, the club was founded in 1978 and has been very active. It is the originator of the Handiplage project at Larvotto, which allows people with reduced mobility to safely use the beach, the Jeune J’ecoute program, and also provided “support for Madame Claude Pompidou at the time against Alzheimer’s disease, but also for Professor Luc Montagné for research in the fight against AIDS,” said the current President, Yveline Garnier, who heads up the team of roughly 20 women.

Today, the club boasts a membership of 72,000 women in 121 nations. They advocate for human rights and gender equality and have a strong presence in the United Nations where they represent girls and women the world over. Their work is mainly grassroots, and the aim is to empower women in their communities.

 

 
Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department 
 
 
 

Monaco readies itself for cycling festival

by: Luke Entwistle
24/11/2021

The build-up to the inaugural edition of the Beking cycling event, set to take place on Sunday 28th November, has hit full speed with a social media campaign involving professional cyclists encouraging everyone to get involved.
Peter Sagan, three-time world cycling champion and one of the 40 professional riders set to race at the event, is amongst a group of participants seeking to create a buzz around the event through a series of videos that can be found on the Beking Twitter account.
In his social media video, the Slovakian rider highlights the unique opportunity for fans to race alongside the professionals at the event. “We’re going to be riding with you guys. Come along, and I’ll be happy to see you on the 28th.”


Monaco resident, former European Road Race cycling champion and co-founder of the Beking event, Matteo Trentin launched a similar appeal through the event’s media channels. “Whoever you are, bring your bike and enjoy riding with us.”
Amateurs wishing to race alongside the professional riders at the pro / AM racing on the Sunday morning can register at www.bekingevents.com. Those selected will not only share the same track as European and Tour de France champions, but also some of the biggest stars from four-wheel racing, including Mercedes’ F1 driver Valterri Bottas and the Monegasque F3 driver Arthur Leclerc.


 
Despite the inclusion of amateur riders, which will give the average cycling fan a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride alongside Tour de France winners such as Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, the event will in fact be part of the official UCI race calendar, providing a highly competitive element to the day.
Beking Monaco will therefore be a hybrid event – combining both competitive and amateur sport, but it also has the aim of raising funds, and awareness, for charitable foundations, including the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The event will be seeking to harness the unique power of sport into creating positive social change through donating to, and promoting, charitable foundations.
Following the professional event on the Sunday afternoon, there will also be a conference on ‘soft mobility’, which will focus on the environmental aspect of the event.
The first edition of Beking Monaco will therefore unite both professional and amatuer riders for a truly enjoyable festival of cycling, which will not only celebrate achievements on the track, but also contribute to a good cause.
 
 
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Monaco charity race attracting top cycling stars