Latest news with #Guimarães
TTG
22-05-2025
- TTG
Newmarket Holidays launches Douro Valley small trains tour
Little Trains of the Douro is an eight-day group holiday that sees guests boarding two historic and beautifully restored engines to chug through the breathtaking UNESCO-listed Douro Valley, feasting on views of vineyards, terraced hillsides and charming villages, and disembarking to enjoy a series of fascinating attractions. Stops include Pinhão, home to one of Portugal's most beautiful azulejo-tiled railway stations, the riverside town of Tua, and Quinta de Pacheca, one of the most renowned and oldest wine estates in the Douro Valley. Further excursions include a guided tour and cable car-ride above Guimarães, a 12th century city that is often referred to as the birthplace of Portugal; a visit to Barcelos to experience the country's largest open-air market; a guide-led trip to historic Braga with a ride on the world's oldest water-powered elevator included, and an afternoon enjoying the beautiful beaches and charming medieval old quarter Viana do Castelo, followed by an exhilarating journey on the Santa Luzia Elevator, Portugal's longest funicular. The tour's final full day features a guided tour of Porto followed by a ride on the land train to the see the city's essential sights, with a tasting stop at one of Porto's famous port wine cellars completing the trip. Hayley Morris, Head of Trade Sales and Partnerships at Newmarket Holidays says: "This fantastic new itinerary builds on the popularity of our train-themed tour in the Pyrenees, Dolomites and on the Swiss Railways. "From steam trains to vineyard tastings, it blends nostalgia with scenic beauty that will appeal to anyone who enjoys relaxed travel, exclusive experiences, wine tastings and authentic Portuguese culture."
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Premier League: Newcastle Utd move to third place with 2-0 win vs Chelsea
Newcastle United's Champions League ambitions were given a huge boost with a vital 2-0 victory over Chelsea. Before kick-off, both teams were on the same number of points and Chelsea were only a place behind in fifth due to United scoring more goals. Sandro Tonali opened the scoring, with the visitors reduced to ten men in the first half before - after withstanding second-half pressure from Enzo Maresca's side - Newcastle sealed a huge win thanks to Bruno Guimaraes' fifth goal of the campaign. An electric atmosphere set the tone and United took the lead inside the opening two minutes. Anthony Gordon's run into the box was ended my Moisés Caicedo's tackle but when Roméo Lavia dallied on the ball, Tonali won it back and found Guimarães. He in turn spread play to Jacob Murphy and the in-form winger's low cross was tucked away at the far pot by Tonali. Newcastle continued to push and in the 13th minute, a dipping effort from Guimarães whistled over the bar, then six minutes later, Sven Botman headed across goal but Alexander Isak didn't connect as intended and Robert Sánchez was able to collect under his crossbar. Chelsea countered with a shot from Cole Palmer, which Guimarães deflected wide, and an effort from Caicedo, which went harmlessly wide from the edge of the box. In the 26th minute, Harvey Barnes made room for shot but it lacked the power to seriously test Sánchez. However, Chelsea went down to ten men soon afterwards, when Nicolas Jackson elbowed Botman. The forward was initially booked, but referee John Brooks showed red after being sent to the monitor. Nick Pope easily dealt with a low drive from Palmer at the beginning of the second half - then the goalkeeper made a vital stop to push away Marc Cucurella's strike just after the hour mark. In the 70th minute, Murphy dinked the ball into the path of Guimarães but the Brazilian's shot was off target. With eight minutes left of normal time, Pope made a stunning save to keep out Enzo Fernández's goalbound effort - then Reece James headed over from close range as full time approached. And in the final minute of the 90, Guimarães cut inside from the left and curled a delicious, decisive strike into the Gallowgate End net. Eddie Howe's men leapfrogged Manchester City into third place, and are now three points clear of Chelsea with two matches left to play.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tonali's transformation to midfield maestro mirrors Howe's tactical shift
Eddie Howe's birthday falls on 29 November but, in a professional context, a couple of his best presents have arrived a day later. By happy coincidence, two of the most productive tactical gambles of the Newcastle manager's tenure centred on 1-1 draws staged on 30 November. Although the first was enforced and the second voluntary, both experiments involved midfielders and would prove watershed moments in Newcastle's evolution into one of England's most feared teams. Like his predecessor, Steve Bruce, Howe struggled to transform Joelinton from a £40m flop into a free-scoring centre-forward but when Ciaran Clark was sent-off against Norwich everything changed. To widespread amazement, the Brazilian responded to moving into midfield by discovering his inner Patrick Vieira and playing a key part in securing a creditable draw. Since then there has been no turning back. Advertisement Joelinton's importance to Newcastle is emphasised by fears that securing a second Champions League qualification in three seasons might be scuppered by a knee injury that could sideline the Brazil international for a month. Yet if much hinges on how able a deputy Joe Willock proves on the left of the midfield three, any renewed optimism on the part of Premier League rivals will be tempered by Sandro Tonali's transformative presence at the heart of that trinity. There cannot be many, if any, better No 6s in Europe than the 24-year-old. It is easy to forget that, either side of the 10-month worldwide ban Tonali received last year for breaches of betting rules, the former Milan playmaker struggled to impose himself in a No 8 role to the right of Bruno Guimarães in Newcastle's 4-3-3 formation. Howe probably sensed the Italy international would be better deployed in a deeper role but managers need to be diplomats as well as tactical choreographers. Perhaps an awareness that Guimarães desperately wanted to serve as a South American Pirlo explains why he resisted handing Tonali the No 6 job until 30 November last year at Selhurst Park. As technically brilliant as Guimarães is, he is much better at drawing fouls, destabilising opponents and creating chances than controlling the tempo. Unlike Tonali, he is not really about slowing play down when necessary and cannot always resist the temptation to pursue the ball at the potential expense of team shape. Superior positional discipline aside, Tonali's passing range and vision – that priceless knack of seeing situations open up a millisecond before everyone else – dictated the Italian was always better suited to the role. Advertisement Joelinton, Guimarães and Tonali have always bonded well off the pitch but, until they swapped stations, it looked as if the latter pair might not be able to play together. Now their on-field chemistry is almost palpable. It is perhaps no coincidence that Newcastle no longer indulge in quite so many of the time-wasting ploys that once so incensed rivals' managers, Mikel Arteta especially. Tonali, though, is no mere quasi-sweeper, intercepting opposition advances before delivering defence-splitting passes from deep. The 24-year-old has become significantly more athletic and aggressive. Always willing to interchange positions with midfield partners, he moves the ball quickly and incisively and also scores important goals, with volleys a speciality. Tonali habitually strikes the ball so hard that Howe has voiced fears for his goalkeepers' wrists in training. Before Sunday's trip to Brighton, Howe agreed that adjusting Tonali's position had been his 'single most important decision' this season. 'The balance of the team is hugely important,' said Newcastle's manager, whose side have won 20 of their past 26 matches in all competitions. 'That helped us find a better balance.' Tonali and Howe have, in different ways, evolved considerably. While as a No 8 the former appeared an elegant luxury, Howe's early philosophy as Bournemouth manager was influenced by a deep admiration of Arsène Wenger's Arsenal during their Cesc Fàbregas-led incarnation. 'My thinking about football is unrecognisable from when I first started managing,' Howe says. 'It's always changing. It has to change because the game's changing so quickly. I'm sure in 10 years' time it will doubtless be different again.' Advertisement Although Howe still likes his team to control possession – and Tonali's ability to do so is a reason why Newcastle have improved so much – he is unrecognisable from the manager whose Bournemouth team were invariably wonderful to watch going forward but defensively flawed. Depending on the opposition, Newcastle variously mix high, hard, full-throttle pressing with slower, more considered passing sequences and operating on the counterattack. Unafraid to turn direct, the team's height, physicality and pace provide a robust framework ideally suited to showcasing the subtleties of Tonali's skill set. 'It's a sort of mixture,' Howe says. 'But I do believe in core principles. You have to be adaptable and flexible but also strong about the things you really believe in.'
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Brazil Inspires These Watch Designers
In August 2024, when the Brazilian watch designers Rafael Guimarães and Antonio Almir Dos Santos Neto unveiled the first hand-enameled watches by their fledgling brand, Statera Watch Co, they were astounded to receive a preliminary order from Geneva. 'We made a small party here,' Mr. Guimarães said in a recent video interview from their atelier in southern Brazil. 'You are selling watches to the place where people have the tradition of making watches.' So this month Mr. Guimarães, 42, plans to be in Switzerland to deliver the order: a 39-millimeter steel ST02 — Esmalte Grand Feu watch with a deep-black enameled dial and a Swiss automatic movement (18,900 Brazilian reais, or $3,290). Mr. Dos Santos Neto, 39, intends to stay in Maringá, a small city about 400 miles west of São Paulo, working with their apprentice on some enameling. (They also employ a watchmaker, who does assembly, and a case maker, who works remotely from a small city north of São Paulo; and they have a contract with a part-time watch finisher.) Friends since childhood, the two designers had careers before they moved into watches: Mr. Guimarães was a salesman, most recently selling software systems to real estate agents, and Mr. Dos Santos Neto was a veterinarian. They describe themselves as longtime watch enthusiasts, but the idea of starting their own brand didn't arise until the pandemic, when they discovered that prices had doubled for the vintage Omega Speedmasters they wanted. 'So why not make one?' Mr. Dos Santos Neto recalled saying, adding that he was 'a little bit bored' as a vet. There is no watch training or industry in Brazil, so two years ago they began teaching themselves skills such as dial design and enameling by buying 'all the books available on Amazon,' Mr. Guimarães said. They also met with industry experts in Switzerland; organized video training, such as several sessions with a Welsh enamel master; and attended a course on case finishing at the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program, better known as WOSTEP. About Balance In 2021 they used their savings to start the business, working on it part time until January 2024, when 1 million reais from an investor, who now owns 10 percent of the business, meant they finally felt it could be their sole focus. They both design and do enamel work, with Mr. Guimarães also looking after sales and marketing and Mr. Dos Santos Neto handling the suppliers, quality control, shipping and finances. They chose Statera as the brand's name because the word 'means balance in Latin,' Mr. Guimarães said, adding that 'one of the most recognizable parts of the watch is the balance wheel.' In 2022, they introduced the ST01 collection, with its 41-millimeter black-dial Calculus and green-dial Emerald models; the dials were made by a supplier in France. And in 2024, the ST02 — Esmalte Grand Feu was released in 37 and 39 millimeters, featuring enamel dials in bright ivory, deep black and royal blue that were made in-house. A version with a transparent dark-blue dial, named Caeruleum, was added late last month. The men use pencil and paper to sketch their designs, which are transferred to Photoshop by a designer friend, and then into a CAD (computer-assisted design) system so an independent watchmaking specialist can produce technical designs and specifications. Those specs are emailed to their suppliers in Brazil, Switzerland and China for prototypes and, eventually, parts production. The Statera atelier has two kilns, to fire the enamel dials at 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit.) 'Everything is difficult about enameling,' Mr. Dos Santos Neto said in Portuguese, with Mr. Guimarães translating. 'After three or four layers, it gets really tricky as it can crack.' (Taxes also present a challenge to the fledgling brand — Brazil's standard import tax is 100 percent 'over the price of the product plus shipping costs,' Mr. Dos Santos Neto said. So 'sometimes when we need something to arrive quick because we're needing, we have to pay very high for it,' he said.) Design Inspiration Maringá's environment has inspired their designs. The men said that the city's greenery, including the evergreen araucaria trees, prompted the Emerald model in their debut collection. They use a stylized silhouette of the giant pine nuts, or pinhão, that fall from araucaria trees, as the markers at three, six and nine o'clock on the ST02 dials, and a split variation at 12 o'clock — the same shape used for the Statera logo, which Mr. Guimarães said represented the 'two people behind Statera.' But running a business from Maringá has its drawbacks, Mr. Guimarães said, noting that there are no direct flights to Europe or to many other Brazilian cities, so he almost always has to fly to São Paulo first. Breno Possas is a marketing consultant in São Paulo who organizes monthly meetups for members of RedBar Brazil, part of the global RedBar community of watch enthusiasts. In October, he arranged for the Statera founders to present their work to about 25 of its 108 members. Mr. Possas, 41, whose own collections includes a rose gold Vacheron Constantin Patrimony and what he characterized as a hard to find Universal Genève Dato-Compax from 1945, said it was difficult for start-ups such as Statera to achieve success. 'It's very challenging here in Brazil to make something different,' like producing dials, he said. 'It's not a very developed market here.' The Watch Scene South America as a whole continues to be one of the Swiss watch industry's smaller markets, besting only Oceania and Eastern Europe in annual exports, according to statistics from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. In 2024, the continent accounted for a little more than 500,000 units, a 7.4 percent decline over 2023 totals. But in Brazil there is a small, yet growing local watch scene dominated by mass market brands such Technos, which has multifunctional timepieces and smartwatches that sell for as much as 1,710 reais, and Seculus, which experiments with ceramic and carbon-fiber models, one of which sells for 1,279 reais. Terranova, which debuted last year in Belo Horizonte, a city in southeastern Brazil, has focused on the country's allure. Its first collection, named after Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, included a 39-millimeter steel watch, powered by a Seiko automatic movement and with machine-painted green waves on its yellow dial, at 2,899 reais. Douglas Emerich, 36, the brand's founder, noted in an email that he had spotted a growing market for homegrown watch brands 'driven by increasing content creation in social media by local influencers.' Brands such as Mido and Tissot have been entering the market, he wrote, along with 'new microbrands surfing the wave of the microbrands boom in U.S. and E.U.' As a result, he said, he plans to introduce a second collection next year. Statera has plans, too, and has been working with a watchmaker on a new movement to power its third collection, scheduled for release in August (Mr. Guimarães declined to identify the person). Next year, the men said, they hope to open a new workshop outside of the city center to bring their case-making operation and a private salesroom under brand control. But that is not the extent of their ambitions. They would really like to make Maringá like Glashütte in Germany — 'a small city with a lot of watch brands,' Mr. Guimarães said.
The Guardian
15-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘I want to be happy at the end': Bruno Guimarães out to break trophy duck
Bruno Guimarães and his Newcastle teammates limbered up for Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool with a modern history lesson. Their tutor was a former England international and one of the finest midfielders to have worn black and white stripes. 'Rob Lee was the last player to score at Wembley for Newcastle,' says Guimarães. 'So, when we met, I touched Rob's feet to give me a little bit of luck.' By now the Brazil midfielder is proving so charmingly engaging that no one quite has the heart to tell Newcastle's captain that Lee scored the goal in question with his head. It arrived in 2000 and was an equaliser in an FA Cup semi-final Chelsea proceeded to win 2-1. Lee, twice a losing FA Cup finalist with Newcastle in the late 90s, is 59 now and will be at Wembley to cheer on his old team on with his son and grandson. Guimarães hopes they will depart having seen Newcastle end a domestic trophy drought stretching back to 1955 when Jackie Milburn scored Newcastle's opening goal in a 3-1 FA Cup final triumph against Manchester City. 'Seventy years is too much to wait,' says Guimarães, who describes the meeting with Liverpool as 'our World Cup final'. 'Hopefully we can finally bring a trophy back to Newcastle. We just want to make thousands and thousands of Geordies happy.' Guimarães and his teammates said much the same two years ago but they failed to rise to the Wembley occasion as Manchester United cantered to a comfortable 2-0 League Cup victory. This time Guimarães senses it will be different. 'Now I've got normal hair so I can, maybe, be more lucky,' he says, stroking a hand through a fashionable dark close crop after a dalliance with the bleached blond look of the 2023 final. 'But the hair colour's my choice, not Eddie Howe's.' Critics of Howe's decision to make the 27-year-old Newcastle's captain certainly had reason to revise such opinions as his high-wattage charisma defied the manager's aim of keeping Wembley preparations understatedly low key. No matter that Liverpool are England's champions elect and Mohamed Salah has scored 13 times in 14 games against teams managed by Howe, Guimarães's sheer positivity seems almost elemental. 'We see this as a big opportunity to make history for this club,' he says. 'At our best we're a really great team. We're not seeing Sunday as pressure, we're seeing it as a privilege.' Eyebrows were raised in January 2022 when he walked into a relegation fight after arriving from Lyon for £35m. At the time he had widely been expected to join Arsenal but swiftly endeared himself to a new public by declaring that he regarded Newcastle as 'definitely bigger' than the north London club. Back then, an interpreter helped Guimarães explain that the club's Saudi Arabian owners had sold him their idea of a 'project' involving the ultimate collection of the Champions League trophy. For the moment, though, any silverware will do. 'We know if we win this one it's going to be massive for the city, massive for the project,' says Guimarães. 'The most difficult step is always the first one. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'When I signed I said I wanted to win something here and be part of this club's history. I see this as my best opportunity. It'll be a very difficult game but we're on it, our confidence is very high. On our day we can beat any team in the world.' He feels infinitely older and wiser than two years ago when he burst into tears at the final whistle. 'Against Man Utd we were really average,' he says. 'Now we're in a much better moment.' Guimarães's relocation to a No 8 role after Sandro Tonali switched to the 6 position has amplified his attacking instincts, not to mention helped Sweden's Alexander Isak score 22 goals this season. Isak waxes lyrical about his captain's contribution. 'Bruno was always amazing but he's taken further steps forward as a player and a leader,' he says. 'The games he controls, we usually win. He's the heart of the team and it's nice he's become an 8 because he's closer to me on the field. I love to play with Bruno. As a captain, his passion for this club and for football is contagious. It gives us all energy.' Salah has spoken of how he channels his emotions through an amalgam of meditation, yoga and visualisation exercises, and Guimarães is a big fan of the last of these. 'I've visualised walking up the Wembley steps to collect the trophy,' he says a smile. 'I've done that many times. I'm always emotional but I want to be happy at the end. We want everything to be amazing this time.'
