Latest news with #Madrid
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Real Madrid's $7.1 Billion Valuation Stretches Away From Rivals
Real Madrid, whose revenues have been supercharged by the revamp of its Santiago Bernabéu stadium, has seen its valuation pull away from its major rivals. The Spanish club was worth €6.3 billion ($7.1 billion) as of January, a 23% year-on-year increase, Football Benchmark said in its latest annual report.
Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Times
How the Loewe prize became the ultimate craft competition
In 2012 Sheila Loewe took over the Loewe Foundation, which had been created by her father, Enrique Loewe Lynch, 25 years earlier 'to give back to society what society had given to the company'. She admits that at the time she came with 'zero, but really zero' knowledge of the craft world. 'I had a little bit of an eye for beauty and the things that I admire, but otherwise I really knew nothing,' she says. Art, design and culture had always been a cornerstone of the Spanish leather brand, founded by Enrique Loewe Roessberg, a German craftsman, in 1846. But since the Loewe Foundation's Craft Prize was started nine years ago at the suggestion of the recently departed former creative director Jonathan Anderson (now at Dior Men), craft is as celebrated by the brand as fashion. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts Anderson had long been a collector of ceramics, textiles and glass, so knew his stuff, but they needed other specialists, too. So Loewe sought the opinions of leading names in the art, craft and design worlds to make up a jury of 13. Today these include the former Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic and the Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, and on expert panels the likes of the leading contemporary jewellery artist Ramón Puig Cuyàs (who has worked on previous Loewe fashion collections with Anderson) and the British metal sculptor Kevin Grey, one of last year's finalists. Every year the jury and panels sift through the thousands of applications from as far as Congo, India and Brazil. Finalists vying to win the €50,000 top prize explore myriad ambitious techniques, technologies, materials and forms. One Korean textile maker, Dahye Jeong, revived an endangered 500-year-old hat making technique to sculpt ethereal, 3D vessels with horsehair. Others have fashioned brooches from Chilean micro-basketry techniques and reimagined Korean ottchil lacquered pots in glossy primary hues. There have been tapestries woven with tiny, hand-formed ceramic beads; glass bowls hand-etched to intimate the knots and grains of wood; and strips of leather hand-coiled like clay to form tall, elegant vessels. The prize, Loewe suggests, has changed not only the perception of craft internationally, but the lives of the finalists. In 2018, one woven work (which now hangs in her father's home), crafted from hundreds of wheat strands, came from an indigenous Purépecha couple from Mexico. 'They had no English or even a wifi connection; the foundation had to help them get passports,' she says. This year's finalists include an 85-year-old indigenous Australian master weaver who has worked fine strips of native leaves and bark into a strikingly monochromatic basket; the Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello, whose bench with bowl uses aluminium reclaimed from the car industry; and the Beijing-based artist Xiaodong Zhang's abstract paper piece has been created using ancient bookbinding techniques. Since Loewe took over the foundation, craft has become her greatest passion. She now travels the world to meet artists and craftsmen, to attend fairs and exhibitions and to sit on juries such as the Spanish National Craft Awards. 'Wherever a craft can be supported, I am there,' she says. 'In Spain, we say 'amor con amor se para' [love begets love]. My ethos is if you support them, then they will support you.' The foundation has also supported Spain's Compañía Nacional de Danza; collaborated with the London-based, non-profit arts organisation Studio Voltaire; and on Writing the Prado, a programme which invites renowned authors to conjure magical short stories inspired by the museum's rich history and art collections. Loewe's appreciation for craft and design is apparent in her own Madrid home. On one wall of an otherwise pared-back, minimal dining space hangs a vivid work by the British textile artist John Allen, who advised during the conception of the prize. In the living room, a monochromatic abstract by the Spanish painter and sculptor Gustavo Torner (who once designed one of Loewe's stores in Madrid) sits above a swirling wrought iron sculpture by La Rioja artist José Antonio Olarte. In another corner, a copy of David Hockney's A Bigger Splash sits on its own Perspex pedestal. Alongside photographs of Loewe on her wedding day and with the current king of Spain, Felipe VI sits a handblown glass vase and a framed box-within-a-box textile work, woven from abaca fibres and barberry root, gifted by the previous Korean Craft Prize finalists Joonyong Kim and Yeonsoon Chang. These are the only finalists' work she has. 'If I could buy every piece by every finalist I would,' she says, 'but in the end I've never bought a piece because it would be too hard to choose.' An appreciation for the skill of a craftsman was instilled in her from an early age. 'My grandfather and father taught me and my two sisters that anything done by Loewe was always going to be the best,' she recalls. 'We have always said we have the best hands in Spain working for us — they are our heroes. And when these heroes work with an amazing creative director, then magic happens.' In this, she not only references Anderson (replaced at Loewe last month by the Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez) but past creatives such as the prominent artist Vicente Vela (the genius behind Loewe's quadruple-L anagram, inspired by cattle branding irons) and the fashion designers Giorgio Armani, Stuart Vevers and Narciso Rodriguez. Almost a decade after the prize started, the works of its winners and finalists are shown in the world's leading galleries and museums, at the brand's flagship Casa Loewe stores, during Salone del Mobile in Milan (this year's themes was teapots, both functional and whimsical), and in initiatives like the recent Crafted World in Japan. A vibrant, playful and immersive exhibition of fashion, objects, art, sculpture and moving images it charted Loewe's evolution from its origins as a Spanish royal favourite to one of the most admired fashion labels in the world (the brand was acquired by LVMH in 1996). For Loewe, the Craft Prize has been 'the craziest and best thing I have ever done' she says. 'We were very fortunate to have Jonathan on this part of the journey — in a magical way, he was this young, cool, powerful, attractive, irresistible designer who understood how craft was embedded in the origins of Loewe, and in a way, helped bring to life the dream of my father. But what we have created will survive without him, without me,' she says. For the craft community, winning the competition has become like a holy grail. 'In countries like Korea and Japan, they tell me that they once dreamt of having a piece in a museum like the V&A,' says Loewe. 'Now they dream of being part of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.' The work of this year's finalists will be exhibited at Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid from May 30 until June 29 2025,
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
PSG vs Inter Champions League final: Historical betting trends that just might pay off
For more stories like this, click here to follow The Athletic's sports betting section and have them added to your feed. The 2025 Champions League final looms, and with it, the chance to lay carefully considered bets on club football's biggest game. We've taken a look back through the last 10 finals in search of information we can use to our advantage. From the time of first goal trends to foul counts and the mystical forces that influence our sport (just kidding…ish), let us arm you with the facts you need to succeed. Advertisement In 2016, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid could not be separated after a gruelling 120-minute final. A penalty shootout ensued, and Los Colchoneros' legendary full-back, Juanfran, missed the deciding kick, prompting him to tearfully approach the fans and beg for forgiveness. It was brutal. Fortunately, no one has had to endure such heartbreak since, as each of the next eight finals have been decided inside 90 minutes, as was the 2015 bout. When betting on finals, there's a key distinction between selecting a team to win (in 90 minutes) and to lift the trophy. Naturally, the odds are shorter for the latter bet, as it gives you more time to win the bet — but recent history suggests that a buffer isn't needed. You'll see odds of 5/1 for either team to win in extra-time or 9/2 for either to win on penalties, but just one of the last 10 finals has gone the distance, suggesting the ultimate value lies in simply picking a team to win in normal time. Five of the last 10 finals have seen the first goal scored in the second half, while the other five have seen an early breakthrough. At surface level, that's an even split. But it's important to note that four of those five second-half breakthroughs have come in the last five years. Bayern Munich (2020), Real Madrid (2022), Manchester City (2023) and Madrid again (2024) have all had to wait till at least the 59th minute to take the lead. Particularly interesting is the 2024 final, where Madrid were heavy favourites against Borussia Dortmund but still needed 74 minutes to score — and it was right-back Dani Carvajal with a header from a corner! This backs up the notion that these finals are, by nature, cagey. If that trend continues, no first half goals at 15/8 is a great bet. There's also a more cautious version of that selection in the form of half time draw at 11/10, which builds in the safety of a goal for each but still wins if it's 0-0. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, finalists get a bit antsy when they're losing. After all, it's a literal ticking-clock situation. That impatience often manifests in the form of fouls. Six of the nine teams that lost in normal time (so 2016 excluded) committed the most fouls — and some of those counts were really high. For example, Inter committed 17 fouls in their 1-0 loss to Man City in 2023; Liverpool racked up 13 and 18 against Madrid in 2022 and 2019, respectively; and Juventus committed 23 in their 4-1 defeat to Madrid in 2017. You can use this to good effect in both pre-match or in-play betting. You can select the team you think will lose to commit the most fouls in both halves (PSG 7/2, Inter 13/5), or you can wait for the first goal to go in, then bet on the losing team's foul count to soar. Jurgen Klopp looks back to Sergio Ramos' 'brutal' foul on Mo Salah during Liverpool's Champions League final vs. Real Madrid in 2018 👀 — ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 31, 2024 It'll be interesting to see if that 2023 final is indicative of anything. Inter went behind to a possession-dominant side in Man City and racked up 17 fouls. This year, they'll face a possession-dominant side in PSG, who are favoured to win. Inter to commit 16-plus fouls, repeating history, is as long as 6/1. You can even drop that figure to 12-plus fouls and get even odds. For the record, there's no such thing as an away team in a Champions League final, but one team is always categorised as one. It means absolutely nothing, and yet, seven of the last nine winners in normal time were technically the away side. Is that a good omen for Inter? That's all the encouragement some bettors need for a fun flutter. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Rodri: David Ramos / Getty Images)
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
EU warns Spain's government not to hinder BBVA's bid for Sabadell
LONDON/MADRID, May 28 (Reuters) - The European Union has warned the Spanish government against trying to prevent banking consolidation it says is needed to create strong lenders, after Madrid announced a ministerial review of BBVA's ( opens new tab bid for rival Sabadell ( opens new tab. Spain's government has opposed BBVA's hostile move since it was made more than a year ago, citing potential risks to jobs. The economy minister Carlos Cuerpo announced the rare move on Tuesday of examining BBVA's offer, which has been approved by the European Central Bank and Spain's competition regulator. The government cannot stop BBVA from buying shares in Sabadell but it can block a full merger. Now it has until the end of June to decide whether to approve the bid and whether to set conditions relating to the implications for jobs and branches. Olof Gill, the European Commission's spokesperson for financial services, said that there was no basis to stop a deal if it met standards on risks and competition, particularly as consolidation was vital to build stronger European lenders and in turn make the EU's Savings and Investment Union a success. "It is important that banking sector consolidation can take place without undue or inappropriate obstacles being imposed," he said. Cuerpo said he was not concerned about the EU's warning. "We are fully respectful of the procedure, the deadlines, and the involvement of the various institutions that are part of this process," he told reporters. The past year has seen a jump in European banking M&A activity, as lenders flush with cash look to make deals that industry supervisors and executives hope can create banks better able to compete with rivals in the United States and Asia. However a number of deals have run into problems with politicians. UniCredit's ( opens new tab move on Commerzbank ( opens new tab is opposed by Berlin and Italy recently imposed conditions on UniCredit's offer for its peer Banco BPM. BBVA says it wants to buy Sabadell to build the second largest lender in Spain, and agreed with the competition watchdog it would limit branch closures and maintain capital lines to small and medium-sized clients. Sabadell says the deal will damage competitiveness, particularly in the area of lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, where the bank is strong.
Washington Post
13 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Former Real Madrid defender Arbeloa takes over as 'B' team coach
MADRID — Former defender Álvaro Arbeloa is replacing Raúl González as coach of Real Madrid's 'B' team, the club said Wednesday. Madrid announced that Arbeloa was taking over, one day after former star Raúl said he was leaving after seven years coaching in the youth academy. 'Arbeloa is a legend at Real Madrid and in Spanish football, and one of our club's most iconic homegrown players,' Madrid said. 'Arbeloa has always been an exemplary representative of our club's values and has passed these on during his time as coach of our youth teams.'
