Perhaps it was an appropriate figure to mention, considering a mooted price that would double the world transfer record. Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre said he was "200 per cent" certain Neymar would stay at Camp Nou.
Gerard Pique seemed similarly emphatic on Twitter. Others are less sure. Neymar could become the £196 million (nearly Dh938m) man, twice as expensive as every other footballer in history. The figures are eye-catching, but the underlying impact would be greater.
Pique's tweet about Neymar
Neymar has the potential to redraw the map of European football. His could be a perception-altering move. Paris Saint-Germain are obviously hoping it will shift the balance of power their way.
At the most basic level, buying the Brazilian could seem both a revenge mission and a way of ensuring history does not repeat itself. Barcelona's extraordinary performance to beat the French side 6-1, and overturn a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Uefa Champions League, was inspired by Neymar: he scored two of their three late goals and provided the other. To customise an old phrase, if you can't beat them, sign them.
It illustrated his catalytic powers. Barcelona’s campaign to keep Neymar is in part about retaining the services of a man who has scored 105 goals in four seasons, but also about preserving the status quo, with its unofficial pecking order: Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top, with Bayern Munich completing a top three composed entirely of traditional powers.
And this is why it would be a transformative transfer if Neymar were to leave. Particularly for South Americans, Barcelona are a destination club. Their pulling power has been rivalled only by Madrid’s. Their experience of the transfer market is decidedly one-sided. No one quits Barcelona when at their peak and in the team. Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas only left for guaranteed first-team football. Barcelona are unaccustomed to rejection, unused to not getting their way.
Also read:
Richard Jolly: Pogba's return statement of United's enduring prowess
Ian Hawkey: Monaco show PSG value of investing in French talent
John McAuley: Ronaldinho says Neymar 'at same level' as Messi
Meanwhile, should Neymar go, he may join Paul Pogba in a new breed of footballers. Manchester United signed the Frenchman because they paid way over the odds to eliminate the competition, but also because they promised to make him the biggest name at Old Trafford and the face of the club. Neymar was overshadowed by Lionel Messi in Catalonia. He would top the bill in France. Perhaps it points to a future where, instead of congregating at the same three clubs, the 10 best players in the world are found in 10 different destinations, each as a figurehead. The immediate repercussions would include a trigger effect, if Barcelona find themselves with a huge budget and a need to reassert their status. A bigger bid for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho seems likely.
French football would be swiftly reshaped. Perhaps it already has been, with champions Monaco losing Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko. Equally, Parisian ambitions stretch beyond the Ligue 1 title. Neymar is designed to crack their glass ceiling, to take them beyond the last eight of the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain have tried importing Galacticos before, even if Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Angel di Maria were arguably the second-tier superstars, the ones Barcelona and Madrid no longer wanted. They have hired a manager who won European trophies in three consecutive seasons, even if Unai Emery’s triumphs came in the Europa League. Neither brought the breakthrough into the continental elite.
Neymar's Instagram photo
Because the 2010s, so far, have been dominated by Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern. It may be premature to say an era would end if Neymar moves, but there are signs of tectonic plates shifting. It was only the International Champions Cup, but Bayern lost 4-0 to other big spenders AC Milan on Saturday.
Change could be coming. Neymar might accelerate it.
Read more:
Andy Mitten: Familiar foes clash again, but Barca have edge over United in games that matter
Transfer activity: Real Madrid agree world-record fee for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The five pillars of Islam
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury