Lionel Messi 'ready to fight for all the trophies' after being presented by PSG


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Lionel Messi has said his will to win is as strong as ever as the Argentine forward was presented to the media on Wednesday for the first time since signing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi completed his free transfer move to PSG on Tuesday after signing a two-year contract, with the option of a third, worth a reported €25 million a year. The Argentine superstar was expected to sign a new five-year contract at Barcelona but the deal collapsed due to the club's inability to meet La Liga's financial fair play regulations, despite Messi agreeing to a 50 per cent pay cut.

Just days after hosting an emotional press conference to confirm his exit from Barcelona, Messi was presented as a PSG player at the Parc des Princes. After a few words from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Messi addressed the media and answered questions.

"First of all I want to thank the president for his words - I'm very happy," Messi, 34, said. "You know my exit from Barcelona was a hard moment after so many years it was a difficult change after so much time.

"But the moment I arrived here I feel very happy and I want to begin training and I wanted it to be a quick signing. I'm enjoying my time in Paris since the first minute my family and I arrived - my only will now is to begin training and I want to work with the staff and teammates and begin this new moment of my life.

"I'm so happy to be here. I have a will to play and I still want to play and win as much as I wanted to at the first moment of my career. This club is ready to fight for all the trophies, this is my goal: to keep growing, keep winning titles and that's why I've come here to this club. I hope we can make it happen.

"I want to thank Paris, it's been crazy. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy my time with this team and we are going to fight for the aims of the club."

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner arrived for his press conference joined by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three sons who all wore PSG shirts. Outside, thousands of supporters packed the area surrounding the Parc des Princes and chanted Messi's name.

"I'm very grateful to the people in the street," Messi said. "I was in Barcelona when the press told me about that. I've seen things from Spain and the people were already outside in Paris and it was incredible to see them outside in the streets.

"I am grateful and want to thank them and now I really want to see them in the city and in the stadium. It will be an incredible year and we are going to enjoy this."

PSG have enjoyed a remarkably successful summer when it comes to free transfers. In addition to Messi, the French club have signed Italy's No 1 goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma - last month named Euro 2020 player of the tournament - Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

Messi will be reunited with his former Barcelona teammate Neymar, who joined PSG in 2017 for a world record €222m, as well as join forces with Kylian Mbappe - should the French forward stay and extend his contract.

"Neymar and I know each other very well," Messi said. "I hope we will be stronger together and with all our teammates."

Messi admitted that the Brazilian forward, alongside a number of his international teammates, had been in contact in recent days to convince him to make the move to the French capital.

"[Angel] Di Maria, [Leandro] Parades, I know all of the teammates in the dressing room, we had contact and Neymar of course did a lot and was important in my decision," he said.

Should Mbappe stay, PSG will possess arguably the most fearsome attack in world football. But with one-year left on his deal and having reportedly told PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino that he was not interested in an extension, there remains the possibility that the World Cup winner could leave this summer.

Messi's arrival could persuade Mbappe to commit his future to PSG, and Al-Khelaifi believes there are now "no excuses" for the 22-year-old not to sign new terms.

On Messi's move to PSG, Al-Khelaifi said: "This is an amazing and historic day for the club, for the football world and it is a fantastic moment for us.

"Everybody knows Leo. The only football player to win the Ballon d'Or six times. He makes football magic, beautiful and he's a winner.

"When we started here on day one 10 years ago, people asked what will they do with their project. We are very proud of where we are today.

"There was a great desire on both sides to make this happen."


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Rating: 3/5

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law

Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.

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The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

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The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

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Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
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Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil

2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil

1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil

1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil

1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil

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Price, base: Dh145,000

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

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Updated: August 11, 2021, 10:26 AM