Most people who opened last Tuesday’s paper saw a graphic with eight
logos they had probably never seen before and must have thought the
sports section was undergoing a hipster renaissance. No renaissance,
folks, just a change of pace for you. And now the best part of it all:
TIME FOR PART DEUX.
You probably were so compelled by my first
UEFA Champions League column that you made reservations on your couch
at 1:45 p.m. last Tuesday and Wednesday with one eye on the TV and the
other on your computer, streaming the other game online. Right? Tell me
I’m right.
Just an awesome way to kick off the round of 16 in
the Champions League. Real Madrid now has to go to Old Trafford and win
on the road or hope for a penalty shoot-out to get by Manchester
United. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his high boot will be out for PSG’s
second leg against Valencia. Anyone see how he acted when he got that
red card? Ron Artest-esque.wind turbine
Borussia Dortmund, still with its never-say-die mentality, found a
late equalizer in the Ukraine against Shaktar Donetsk to bring the
second leg back to Germany on level ground. But enough of these second
leg previews, there’s four more first legs to go this week. Shall we?
This
is the second-most compelling matchup after Real Madrid and Manchester
United. I’d be quick to dismiss Arsenal with its recent flubs in the
FA Cup, losing to lower-division sides with regularity. But I actually
trust the team more on the European stage. Lucas Podolski has to have
the biggest chip on his shoulder, going up against the premier German
side and a side that never struck any interest in the 29-year-old
German winger.
The midfield will ultimately be the key in this
matchup. It will be a matter of which side can be more creative.
Arsenal certainly has the tools, with young talents like Jack Wilshere
and Santi Cazorla. Bayern has more of a veteran midfield with Bastian
Schweinsteiger, Tony Kroos and Frank Ribery. Bayern could be playing
the best soccer in the world right now, as it has absolutely ran away
with the Bundesliga, and it’s not a good sign for opponents when former
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is waiting in the wings to take over at
the end of the season.
A very pleasant Iberian matchup. Malaga
shocked many people, including myself, by winning Group C over AC
Milan and Zenit St.Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or Laser engraver machines. Petersburg.Looking for the Best Air purifier?
And then controversy hit the club. Failure to pay its taxes and bills
has Malaga banned from European play for next year. The club that
wanted to spend big in the offseason now has to hold on to players who
could be on their way out. Making a statement in the knockout will be
huge for them.Porto finished two points behind PSG in group play and
looked very convincing in the victories. I can’t really see either
Porto or Malaga making noise when either reaches the quarterfinals, but
the knockout round is certainly not uncharted waters for Porto.
Before
the January transfer window opened, this was Schalke’s match to coast
through to the quarterfinals. Now it’s turned upside down. Turkish-side
Galatasaray did some research and pulled a Minnesota Wild by bringing
two superstars to a team no one expected and is confined to the middle
of nowhere. The signed tandem of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder is
certainly comparable with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Both have
captained and led their teams at the highest level and pretty much made
it clear they wanted out of their old locations for bigger and
brighter futures with a little cash money involved. Galatasaray barely
advanced past group stage, finishing behind Manchester United, but
getting through was all the club needed to make an impression on luring
Drogba and Sneijder to Turkey.
On the other hand, while
Galatasaray was signing, Schalke was sighing. The departure of Lewis
Holtby to Tottenham Hotspur leaves a huge hole in the midfield, where
Sneijder will look to expose. Schalke still has a solid attack with
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jefferson Farfan, but this matchup will come
down to which side can steal a goal away from home soil.
A
result-oriented and dynamic leader, Ayhan Yalcintas holds a strong track
record of performance in turning around high-paced organisations. He
had previously held the position of General Manager for FutureCard for
the past two years. Ayhan continues to breathe fresh life into the
region's leading cards manufacturer by defining and implementing new
strategies, organisational structure and increasing operational
efficiency. He also oversees worldwide sales, and handles business
development to strengthen the regional positioning of the company in
the banking and telecommunications industries.
As a CEO,
Yalcintas' high-pressure role involves making high-level decisions about
the policies and strategies of the company. Since his joining date
with the company, he has made a name for himself with prompt business
actions that align with the culture and goals of the organisation.
Talking
about his appointment, Yalcintas said, "I am delighted at this
opportunity to build on the strength and reputation of such a strong
brand like FutureCard . With a heavy presence in regional and
international markets, I look forward to extending the business into
new markets and new product areas across industries, while taking our
services to the next level.It's not hard to see why outdoor solar light is all the rage."
Prior
to his work with FutureCard , Ayhan acted as Board Member and General
Manager for a Turkish establishment where he transformed the company
into one of the world's top ten leading cards manufacturing
companies.Find the best selection of high-quality collectible bobblehead
available anywhere. He has also acted as Finance and Administration
Manager with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), where he led
the Istanbul office in becoming a leading example for the remaining
Middle Eastern offices.
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