Scottish giants Celtic were handed the unenviable task of taking down traditional Italian power club Inter Milan in the Europa League round of 32 draw on Monday.
Celtic finished second in a group with Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and Astra Giurgiu, this after exiting the Champions League in the play-off round to Slovenians Maribor only after they advanced from the third qualifying round on a technicality against Legia Warsaw, who dominated their tie 6-1 but fielded an ineligible player toward the end of the second leg.
Now Celtic must Inter Milan, mired in a difficult season in Serie A, where they are 12th, but who went through the group phase unbeaten.
Liverpool, fresh off their own Champions League exit, landed a challenge in Turkish leaders Besiktas, who also completed an unbeaten group campaign and edged Tottenham Hotspur for the top of Group C.
Spurs themselves have been paired with Fiorentina, like Inter struggling with indifferent form in Serie A at eighth.
Everton, winners of a tough Group H over Wolfsburg and eliminated sides Krasnodar and Lille, earn a reasonable draw with Swiss club Young Boys.
Legia, knocked out of the Champions League for their infraction, won Group L and will now get a tough assignment in Dutch giants Ajax.
Other matches pitting clubs from Europe’s biggest leagues include Sevilla of La Liga and Borussia Monchengladbach of the Bundesliga and Torino (Serie A) v Athletic Bilbao (La Liga).
Italy’s AS Roma, descending from the Champions League, faces Feyenoord of the Netherlands, Andre Villas-Boas’ Zenit St Petersurg side, also dropping out of Europe’s top-tier competition, face Dutch leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Sporting Lisbon, too, arrives in the Europa League via a third-place finish in their Champions League group, and face Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.
Aalborg of Denmark and Club Brugge of Belgium; Anderlecht of Belgium and Dinamo Moscow of Russia; Dnipro of Ukraine and Olympiakos of Greece; and Villarreal of Spain and Red Bull Salzburg of Austria; Guingamp of France and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine; and Napoli of Italy and Trabzonspor of Turkey will all face off, as well.
The first legs of the first knockout round will be played on February 19, and the second on February 26.
Round of 32 draw:
Young Boys (Switzerland) v Everton (England)
Torino (Italy) v Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
Sevilla (Spain) v Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany)
Wolfsburg (Germany) v Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) v Legia Warsaw (Poland)
Aalborg (Denmark) v Club Brugge (Belgium)
Anderlecht (Belgium) v Dinamo Moscow (Russia)
Dnipro (Ukraine) v Olympiakos (Greece)
Trabzonspor (Turkey) v Napoli (Italy)
Guingamp (France) v Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Villarreal (Spain) v Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
AS Roma (Italy) v Feyenoord (Netherlands)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) v Zenit St Petersburg (Russia)
Liverpool (England) v Besiktas (Turkey)
Tottenham Hotspur (England) v Fiorentina (Italy)
Inter Milan (Italy) v Celtic (Scotland)
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
Meydan race card
6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m
7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m
7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
