The UK Media is in love with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ibra has finally arrived to England and to the Premiere League. England loves it.
Today Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes his first appearance for Manchester United in a competition game, when Man U plays Champions Leichester in the Community Shield.
The well known paper The Guardian, has written a great article in todays’ issue.
The Guardian writes; ‘On his transfer from the French champions Paris St Germain to Manchester United in June, Zlatan Ibrahimović summed up his time in the French capital with typical understated modesty: “I arrived a king and I left a legend,” he said. As he described in his wonderfully unguarded autobiography I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović, the Swedish footballer grew up idolising Muhammad Ali; like Ali, he has not only always been his own greatest promoter, but he also loves nothing more than to back his talk with results. Now 34, Ibrahimović led the French club to its fourth consecutive league championship last year, scoring 38 league goals. He also created a lexicon all his own.
A primer published in France, Ainsi parler Zlatan!, (Let’s speak Zlatan!) celebrated the nuances of that idiom, mostly practised in after-match interviews. A Devil’s Dictionary of all things Ibrahimović, it offered an A-Z of the striker’s world, from “Air Zlatan”: “Zlatan does not fly first class or business class, only Zlatan class” to the verb “Zlataner”: “to crush, pulverise and dismember an opponent” (a definition now in the Swedish version of the OED).
It comes as no surprise in this sense that José Mourinho, the new Manchester United manager, made Ibrahimović his first signing: they speak exactly the same language, a calculated mix of swagger, outrage and wind-up. Who else but Ibrahimović can you hear saying, for example: “If I’m not egoistic I will be a simple player and I don’t see myself as a simple player” or: “Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am.”
Winning 13 league titles across four countries over the past 15 years.
His subsequent grand tour of Europe has been a unpredictable mix of joy and rancour. There have been moments of genuine wonder; doubted for many years in Britain, Ibrahimović silenced critics by scoring all four goals as Sweden beat England in 2012, the last, an overhead kick from 40 yards, being among the most outlandish goals ever.
Ibrahimović is well aware of his box-office value. He has never forgotten feeling fleeced in his first contract with Ajax. “Money has never been important to me,” he claims.“But to be seen as the falafel boy you can cheat and make money out of – that made me furious.”
No player more resembles Eric Cantona, the piratical talisman of Fergie’s teams. The Frenchman welcomed Ibrahimović to his old club with the caveat that there “could only be one king of Manchester” – Cantona himself. Ibrahimović predictably raised the stakes in reply: “I will be God of Manchester.”
Will Ibrahimovic create another success in Manchester ? I am absolutely 100% sure that he will. In May 2017 we will know.
In his first game for his new club, a frindly against Galatasaray, he scored his first goal on a overhead kick in the top corner after 194 seconds of the game. After only two days with the team.
Tonight, in his first competition game for Manchester United, he scored the 2-1 goal in the 83rd minute of the Community Shield final against last years’ Priere League champions Leichester. Thus he won his first title for his new club. This was his 31st professional title. He had already before the game the record in soccer titles of all times having won 30 titles for his six past clubs. But Zlatan wants more. He is still hungry.
If you want to read the entire article, click here: Article from The Guardian
There are now ninety (90) countries that have ratified the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
Traders from both developing and developed countries have long pointed to the vast amount of “red tape” that still exists in moving goods across borders, and which poses a particular burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. To address this, WTO Members concluded negotiations on a landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at their 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference and are now in the process of adopting measures needed to bring the Agreement into effect.
The TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. The Agreement will help improve transparency, increase possibilities to participate in global value chains, and reduce the scope for corruption.
The TFA was the first Agreement concluded at the WTO by all of its Members.
Here is a link to the ratification list of countries: List of WTO Members that have ratified the TFA
What are European business leaders worried about?
Today we know that more Government and Private Sector oartnerships and cooperation is the only way to the future.
One of the things we still often do wrong in Government is to assume that we know what Trade and Industry want and need. In fact we have to listen more directly to the private sector and at the same time to transparently explain the tasks of authorities – and why it is done – and at the same time to articilte when it is not possible to accomodate wanted changes.
We also need more academic and scientific research and surveys about the concerns of international business to re-design our business processes better and more efficient jointly.
That is why a study done by Deloitte ‘European CFO Survey – Politics takes Center Stage (2016)’ about the main concerns of the European business, published for the international environment – so important.
I have especially noted and highlighted the question “Which of the following factors are likely to pose a significiant risk for your business o er the next12 monhts?”.
The consequences of Brexit is naturally on the agenda right now but also a range of other factors like e.g. competiveness and domestic political decisons.
In general it is also worth to note the difference in the answers between the different EU Member States and where expected international crises are seen only as one out of many risks, while domestic decidions also are considered to have a major impact on business and competitiveness.
You can find the report here (click the link): Deloitte report
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