Latest news with #NickAmes
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Luis Enrique secures status as one of the all-time greats with PSG triumph
At what point did Luis Enrique know it was going to work out, that his Paris Saint‑Germain team would beat Inter at the Allianz Arena to win the club's first Champions League title? The manager had certainly cut a cool and confident figure when he emerged on to the pitch about 90 minutes before kick-off for a quick temperature check with his coaches. The PSG ultras were already behind one of the goals, bobbing up and down en masse. They would be a forceful presence throughout. Luis Enrique was aware that an omen was on his side. Every time Munich had hosted a final in Europe's elite competition, a new champion had emerged. Nottingham Forest, 1979. Marseille, 1993. Borussia Dortmund, 1997. And Chelsea, 2012. Inter had arrived as three-time winners. Advertisement Related: PSG 2.0 have potential to dominate but young stars could be lured away | Nick Ames Luis Enrique is a spiritual person, so maybe that fed into things. What absolutely did was the shining light he had in the sky. 'You will be the star that guides our family,' he wrote in tribute to his daughter Xana in 2019 after she died from bone cancer at the age of nine. Luis Enrique carries more than the unimaginable pain. He feels enriched by the time he was able to spend with her. When the game got under way, everything quickly felt just right for PSG. Luis Enrique had declared his side knew 'how to unpick teams like Inter, how to get that tight-knit defence to unravel'. He believed in his approach, how his players would pass and move, especially the bit about the movement – the positional fluidity, the unusual overloads, the aggression in the press, as well. A 2-0 lead after 20 minutes was fortifying. The way Luis Enrique would tell it, even at 3-0 midway through the second half he wanted a fourth because the game 'could still open up' for Inter. So Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's goal for 4-0 on 73 minutes was probably the moment for the Spanish coach, although he seemed to really let it all out when Senny Mayulu made it five just before the end. Advertisement The 19-year-old substitute, who had been on for only two minutes, was giddy with joy; disbelief even. For Luis Enrique, it was an example of his Midas touch on the night but also a symbol of something wider in terms of what he has built. An unheralded youngster ought not to be able to do this in club football's biggest game. It is gloriously possible within Luis Enrique's collective. Something felt crystal clear as the PSG captain, Marquinhos, emerged through the golden confetti – detonated a little early – to hoist the trophy; Luis Enrique must now be considered among the all-time greats of his profession. For him, the glory of Munich added up to a second 'classic' treble of his career – league, Champions League, principle domestic cup – having achieved the feat at Barcelona in 2014-15. Only one other manager has done this: his former Barcelona and Spain teammate Pep Guardiola, who pulled it off with Barcelona in 2008‑09 and Manchester City in 2022-23. But it has been as much about how Luis Enrique has succeeded at PSG. Related: Viva Vitinha: how PSG's deep conductor proved Lionel Messi wrong | Barney Ronay Advertisement It has sometimes been possible to detect a bit of sniffiness about his exploits at Barcelona. You know, he inherited Lionel Messi and Neymar, with Luis Suárez added for him. Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi were already there, too. It has been different at PSG. With the help of Luís Campos, the recruitment chief, Luis Enrique has created a team – and one in the truest sense. Willian Pacho, João Neves and Désiré Doué were brought in last summer, with Kvaratskhelia, the final piece of the puzzle, joining in January. PSG have spent heavily; it was £200m on that quartet alone. Everything continues to stem from the wealth of the club's Qatari owners. Yet Luis Enrique has proved his genius by assembling a largely unstarry group who play for the badge rather than themselves; a break, frankly, from previous PSG vintages. And one that is capable of hitting such beautifully sweet high notes, which has a defined and likable identity. Ousmane Dembélé, who signed in the summer of 2023, which was when Luis Enrique arrived, has scored 33 goals this season. He did not add to the tally against Inter, although he did contribute two assists and was his usual threat. But it was his work without the ball, especially the energy with which he led the press, that had Luis Enrique purring. Advertisement 'Everyone is talking about the Ballon d'Or … I would give it to Dembélé just for his defensive work against Inter,' the manager said. 'He showed what he was made of. He was a leader, he was humble.' Luis Enrique had noted a few weeks back: 'The first year at a club is generally not perfect but in the second you grow more in terms of football and confidence.' He called it, he has felt it, the click coming in January when PSG stormed back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Guardiola's City at the Parc des Princes in the penultimate Champions League group phase game. Since then, they have ridden the wave past everybody, including Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, all the way to the crowning moment against Inter. And when it was over, there was the tifo from the PSG ultras. It depicted Luis Enrique and Xana in PSG colours planting a flag in the turf, just as they had done with Barcelona after the 2015 Champions League final victory against Juventus. It was overwhelmingly emotional. Xana can be very proud of her dad.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
FA Cup final preview and Sunderland book place at Wembley - Football Weekly Extra podcast
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: playoff ecstasy for Sunderland as Dan Ballard's header in the last minute of extra-time sends them to Wembley where they'll take on Sheffield United. This Saturday, however, Wembley hosts the men's FA Cup final, with Crystal Palace the neutrals pick. Can they win their first ever trophy? Elsewhere, we'll discuss the quite bizarre statement from Nottingham Forest following the news of Taiwo Awoniyi's serious injury and we'll preview this weekend's Premier League action. Plus, Nick Ames joins us from Ukraine and your questions answered. Support the Guardian here. You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Woke red tape stops British armoured vehicle-maker raising funds in the City
A BRITISH firm behind an in-demand armoured military vehicle dubbed 'The Jackal' is urging ministers to clear away red tape so the business can thrive. Devon-based Supacat says it is 'fighting a bit of a battle' to access finance — despite the popularity of the 7.6-ton bruiser which can tackle the roughest, bumpiest terrain. 5 5 5 The Jackal, which Sun Business Editor Ashley Armstrong took for a spin, can carry 2.1 tons of cargo, such as missile launchers, medical supplies and drone killers. Supacat — which exports worldwide, making around £40million a year — recently won a new contract from the British Army. But it is shunned by some investors, who consider defence firms unethical as they do not have 'B Corp' status. CEO Nick Ames said the defence industry has not been 'top of the popularity tree' for more than a decade. And he said Supacat was unlikely to list in London to raise funds. He added: 'The City has for years said we, 'Don't do that sort of thing'. You'd like to see a lot more activity and liquidity on the AIM (Alternative Investment Market). You're more liquid as a business.' 5 With global politics becoming increasingly fragile, the Government plans to increase military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP within two years. Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Healey have pledged to give more of the Ministry of Defence budget to smaller British companies, such as Supacat. The firm, which employs 250, is known to many because Jeremy Clarkson uses one of its ex-Army six-wheelers to get around his Diddly Squat farm. Phil Applegarth, head of Supacat, said: 'For the first time in our lives defence spending, which has always been cut, is rising. Keir Starmer must hike UK defence spending soon to have any credibility & ditching woke nonsense can help fund it 'To get in on this ride up we need skilled people, enthusiastic people who aren't frightened to go and join defence firms rather than be shoe-horned into B Corp. 'There is a real sense of pride in working on what we do. We're making something that is vital. It's keeping our forces safe.' He added: 'We need to build up capability now to be the deterrent that prevents a potential war.' Mr Applegarth said the defence industry was waiting for the Government to outline its Strategic Defence Review, which is delaying investment. He added: 'There seems to be a desire to wait rather than keep going and then change. 'You're hearing a lot of top-level speeches saying, 'Prepare, prepare' but the best we could have is longer-term contracts. The longer it is, the more we can invest in resources and skills. 'The current spiky ordering doesn't help as we have to keep getting fresh prices from the supply chain — switching the supply chain on and off rather than keeping it warm and running.' BAE TO RECRUIT 2,400 WORKERS DEFENCE giant BAE wants to hire 2,400 apprentices, graduates and undergrads this year as it gears up to meet soaring demand. It has also shrugged off the threat of President Donald Trump's tariffs, insisting it builds systems for the US Department of Defense in its US factories with a domestic supply chain. BAE said yesterday it expected to grow sales by up to 9 per cent and earnings 10 per cent as it wins more contracts for combat aircraft and vehicles, missile systems, artillery, sensor technology and drones. WIND AXE BLOW FOR GREEN ED 5 THE Government's Clean Power push looks increasingly far-fetched after a Danish firm axed a major offshore wind project, blaming higher costs. Orsted said it will not go ahead with its Hornsea project, where 180 wind turbines off the Yorkshire coast were to power millions of homes. It is a blow to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's desire to quadruple the number of offshore wind farms by 2030. Orsted's chief exec Rasmus Errboe said that the project was unlikely to provide value for money because of 'increased supply chain costs, higher interest rates and increased execution risk'. Andy Mayer, analyst at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'It is a reminder of the folly of legally binding climate targets. "The Government's plan to decarbonise the power grid by 2030 denies real trade-offs between lower emissions, energy security and affordability.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Deluded' banks driving up the cost of British rearmament
'Deluded' banks are driving up the cost of re-arming Britain by refusing to work with defence companies, a top military supplier has warned. Supacat, which makes Jackal reconnaissance vehicles for the Army, said high street lenders were still refusing to provide loans or even bank accounts to military contractors, despite being repeatedly urged to do so by ministers. Many discriminate against defence companies under so-called environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines, or to qualify for special B-corp statuses that prohibit working with 'controversial industries'. The lack of support from mainstream banks and investment funds often means they must choose between abandoning growth plans or borrowing from creditors who demand much higher rates of interest, warned Nick Ames, Supacat's chief executive. He said: 'It's why defence is expensive. You find [a reluctance] with banking, with debt funds, with equity funds. The only finance you can get is therefore flipping expensive.' The unwillingness of banks to work with defence companies threatens to make Britain's rearmament push more expensive, he added. The Government is scrambling to restock Britain's munition supplies and modernise the military, with defence spending set to rise to 2.5pc of GDP by 2027. As previously revealed by The Telegraph, the list of defence contractors that have been spurned by banks range from start-ups working on simulators and underwater drones to larger companies that provide equipment such as guns used by police counter-terrorism squads. Before the Ukraine war, even BAE Systems, the country's biggest defence company, was warned by shareholders that its involvement in Britain's nuclear deterrent had 'become a real problem', the company's chief executive has said. In recent months, ministers have urged financial institutions to be more supportive, with Sir Keir Starmer hailing the domestic defence industry as as 'a source of national pride'. But bosses say there have been few concrete signs of change, even as banks insist publicly that they have no problem with the sector. The issue is particularly sensitive for smaller firms to discuss publicly, as many fear being blacklisted by lenders or targeted by violent protesters if they speak out. Mr Ames said there was a widespread view that lenders 'will bank you as long as you're big enough, but if you're small, and in defence, they're not interested'. He said: 'The Government has got to be much firmer. The banks all sit there at these events and say, 'Oh no, no, no, we're investing in defence,' but it's deluded. 'I don't think they really know what goes on when you actually go and talk to your high street bank.' Supacat's Jackal, a high-mobility reconnaissance vehicle, was originally rushed into service in 2008 to support troops in Afghanistan. It is designed to protect troops from roadside explosions and mine attacks, with some 500 having been purchased by the Ministry of Defence. Mr Ames said even his company had struggled to secure finance in recent years, with a bid to supply armoured vehicles to the German special forces thwarted by a failure to secure loans from any mainstream lenders. It was also 'flatly refused' banking services by HSBC. This year, Supacat was also dropped by its website designer over its military links and bosses were told by another company that their defence work barred them from purchasing carbon credits, which are used to mitigate a company's environmental impact. Many defence companies resort to playing down their links to the sector, and the potential lethality of their products, because of such concerns. Kevin Kraven, chief executive of ADS, said the issue underscored a 'lack of societal pride' in the industry, but said there were now more positive discussions happening with some banks, particularly around the types of finance most needed by defence companies. He said: 'The tone of the discussion has changed a lot. What has not happened is practical measures. 'But, clearly, it is bonkers to be saying we shouldn't support our defence industry, particularly at a time when the world is in the state it is in.' In January, Mark Rutte, general secretary of the Nato alliance, complained that banks and investment funds were putting defence into the same category as 'illicit drugs and pornography'. On Friday, UK Finance, which represents banks, said there was no conflict between ESG rules and working with defence companies and insisted efforts were under way to 'tackle barriers that do arise'. David Raw, the group's commercial finance spokesman, said: 'The UK banking sector is fully committed to supporting defence companies. They are a vitally important contributor to our national security and banks provide a significant range of support and lending to them. 'Providing finance in this area is complex and banks can face the threat of violent protest. They must also ensure they comply with a range of domestic and international laws and regulations.' Some banks that do work with defence companies have also found themselves targeted by protesters who intimidate staff or vandalise branches. A spokesman for HSBC said: 'The bank has a defence policy that is designed to comply with the legal and regulatory requirements of the many markets in which we operate. 'We feel that policy strikes the right balance between respecting those laws, supporting our customers and abiding by international norms.' A government spokesman said: 'In a time of increasing geopolitical instability, maintaining a robust and thriving defence sector is essential to our national security. 'No company should be denied access to financial services purely on the basis that they work in defence. 'We are working with banks and defence sector to protect defence companies access to banking.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘Deluded' banks driving up the cost of British rearmament
'Deluded' banks are driving up the cost of re-arming Britain by refusing to work with defence companies, a top military supplier has warned. Supacat, which makes Jackal reconnaissance vehicles for the Army, said high street lenders were still refusing to provide loans or even bank accounts to military contractors, despite being repeatedly urged to do so by ministers. Many discriminate against defence companies under so-called environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines, or to qualify for special B-corp statuses that prohibit working with 'controversial industries'. The lack of support from mainstream banks and investment funds often means they must choose between abandoning growth plans or borrowing from creditors who demand much higher rates of interest, warned Nick Ames, Supacat's chief executive. He said: 'It's why defence is expensive. You find [a reluctance] with banking, with debt funds, with equity funds. The only finance you can get is therefore flipping expensive.' The unwillingness of banks to work with defence companies threatens to make Britain's rearmament push more expensive, he added. The Government is scrambling to restock Britain's munition supplies and modernise the military, with defence spending set to rise to 2.5pc of GDP by 2027. As previously revealed by The Telegraph, the list of defence contractors that have been spurned by banks range from start-ups working on simulators and underwater drones to larger companies that provide equipment such as guns used by police counter-terrorism squads. Before the Ukraine war, even BAE Systems, the country's biggest defence company, was warned by shareholders that its involvement in Britain's nuclear deterrent had 'become a real problem', the company's chief executive has said. In recent months, ministers have urged financial institutions to be more supportive, with Sir Keir Starmer hailing the domestic defence industry as as 'a source of national pride'. But bosses say there have been few concrete signs of change, even as banks insist publicly that they have no problem with the sector. The issue is particularly sensitive for smaller firms to discuss publicly, as many fear being blacklisted by lenders or targeted by violent protesters if they speak out. 'Not interested' Mr Ames said there was a widespread view that lenders 'will bank you as long as you're big enough, but if you're small, and in defence, they're not interested'. He said: 'The Government has got to be much firmer. The banks all sit there at these events and say, 'Oh no, no, no, we're investing in defence,' but it's deluded. 'I don't think they really know what goes on when you actually go and talk to your high street bank.' Supacat's Jackal, a high-mobility reconnaissance vehicle, was originally rushed into service in 2008 to support troops in Afghanistan. It is designed to protect troops from roadside explosions and mine attacks, with some 500 having been purchased by the Ministry of Defence. Mr Ames said even his company had struggled to secure finance in recent years, with a bid to supply armoured vehicles to the German special forces thwarted by a failure to secure loans from any mainstream lenders. It was also 'flatly refused' banking services by HSBC. 'Lack of societal pride' This year, Supacat was also dropped by its website designer over its military links and bosses were told by another company that their defence work barred them from purchasing carbon credits, which are used to mitigate a company's environmental impact. Many defence companies resort to playing down their links to the sector, and the potential lethality of their products, because of such concerns. Kevin Kraven, the chief executive of ADS, said the issue underscored a 'lack of societal pride' in the industry, but said there were now more positive discussions happening with some banks, particularly around the types of finance most needed by defence companies. He said: 'The tone of the discussion has changed a lot. What has not happened is practical measures. 'But, clearly, it is bonkers to be saying we shouldn't support our defence industry, particularly at a time when the world is in the state it is in.' In January, Mark Rutte, general secretary of the Nato alliance, complained that banks and investment funds were putting defence into the same category as 'illicit drugs and pornography'. On Friday, UK Finance, which represents banks, said there was no conflict between ESG rules and working with defence companies and insisted efforts were under way to 'tackle barriers that do arise'. David Raw, the group's commercial finance spokesman, said: 'The UK banking sector is fully committed to supporting defence companies. They are a vitally important contributor to our national security and banks provide a significant range of support and lending to them. 'Providing finance in this area is complex and banks can face the threat of violent protest. They must also ensure they comply with a range of domestic and international laws and regulations.' Some banks that do work with defence companies have also found themselves targeted by protesters who intimidate staff or vandalise branches. 'Geopolitical instability' A spokesman for HSBC said: 'The bank has a defence policy that is designed to comply with the legal and regulatory requirements of the many markets in which we operate. 'We feel that policy strikes the right balance between respecting those laws, supporting our customers and abiding by international norms.' A government spokesman said: 'In a time of increasing geopolitical instability, maintaining a robust and thriving defence sector is essential to our national security. 'No company should be denied access to financial services purely on the basis that they work in defence. 'We are working with banks and defence sector to protect defence companies access to banking.'
