The Levante fairy tale has come crashing down. Valencia's second club stunned football when they drew their opening two games before winning seven to sit above Barcelona in the Primera Liga table by October.
That they did so with a new manager and an ageing team of players brought in on loan showed that football could still be gloriously unpredictable, that David could still slay Goliath.
Such was their early-season form, they are still in fourth place in the league after 20 games, yet Levante have triumphed just twice in 11 games since October. The goals have dried up, the injuries mounted and the fans who were waiting to greet the team in the autumn are now booing them at home matches.
Football attracts the feckless and the fickle. Levante have gone five games without a win and could only draw at home with bottom club Real Zaragoza two weeks ago before losing at home to struggling Getafe last weekend.
Both games were dire, but a bigger blow was being thrashed 7-1 over two legs in the Spanish Cup by Valencia.
Levante's form is now the relegation form which everyone expected before a ball was kicked at the start of the season, with the autumnal victories a distant memory.
They will surely be overhauled by the chasing pack of Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and the in-form Atletico Madrid. That's not the main concern. Preventing a slide down the table and into the relegation zone, is.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
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If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
