Wayne Rooney has signed a three-and-a-half year contract to manage English second-tier club Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney has signed a three-and-a-half year contract to manage English second-tier club Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney has signed a three-and-a-half year contract to manage English second-tier club Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney has signed a three-and-a-half year contract to manage English second-tier club Birmingham City.

Wayne Rooney turned down Saudi Pro League offer before taking Birmingham job


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New Birmingham City manager Wayne Rooney has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to manage in the Saudi Pro League in favour of returning to England.

Manchester United's all-time record scorer has spent the last 15 months in charge of Major League Soccer's DC United but left the club last week after failing to make the end of season play-offs.

He was appointed manager at the English second-tier club following the surprise sacking of John Eustace who left despite the team sitting a respectable sixth in the Championship table.

Birmingham's chief executive Garry Cook said he had tried to bring Rooney to the kingdom in his previous role as CEO of the Saudi Pro League.

“We discussed Saudi Arabia. It wasn't going to happen,” said Cook at a joint press conference with Rooney on Thursday.

Rooney's former England teammate Steven Gerrard is currently coaching in Saudi Arabia with Al Ettifaq – with former Liverpool midfielders Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum part of his playing squad – despite initially turning down the job offer.

But 37-year-old Rooney, who previously managed in the Championship with Derby County, where he almost saved the club from relegation despite a 21-point deduction and transfer embargo, did not feel the move was right for him.

“I felt for my development that my pathway was a different way,” Rooney said of Saudi interest. “That is no disrespect to any manager that has gone out there, by the way.

“I think for myself, firstly to get back into English football is great. It's what I've wanted to do.

“I've had opportunities over the last four to six weeks at other clubs as well, but since speaking to Birmingham, it was a really easy decision.

“I want to be successful, it's clear this club wants to be successful, and everything we spoke about was very similar.”

In August, Birmingham announced that former NFL star Tom Brady had became a minority owner at the club with the seven-time Super Bowl champion partnering up with the club’s holding company, US-based Knighthead Capital Management.

“Speaking to Tom about the club and his role, how he is being really involved, his enthusiasm for it, it is refreshing,” said Rooney. “I think we’re both on the same page, when we say we’re excited for what this club can achieve in the future.

“He’s one of, if not the greatest athlete of all time. He will have a lot of advice he can give to me, but also one of the things I want to do when he’s over next is get him in front of the players, talking to them and sharing his story. I’m sure it would be really inspiring.”

The immediate target for Rooney is to steer Birmingham back to the top-flight for the first time since 2011.

His first game sees Birmingham take on Middlesbrough, who are managed by his old Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick, and Rooney insists he is looking forward to beginning the challenge of trying to win promotion to the Premier League.

“I love it,” he said. “I've dealt with a lot of pressure throughout my whole career, since I was 16.

“You're in the game to develop yourself and your team, and not be afraid to takes risks and make mistakes – you learn from the mistakes you make, that's how you improve.

“I've no problem with the pressure and I have to make sure the players are ready for that. We have expectations and targets to hit.

“Winning is always the key but the plan is getting back playing at the top level.

“That's the target for us and I'm here to make that happen.”

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Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%203-litre%20V6%20turbo%20(standard%20model%2C%20E-hybrid)%3B%204-litre%20V8%20biturbo%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20350hp%20(standard)%3B%20463hp%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20467hp%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20500Nm%20(standard)%3B%20650Nm%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20600Nm%20(S)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh368%2C500%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

Brief scores:

Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

if you go

The flights

Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com

Seeing the games

Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com

 

Staying there

Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com

 

Results

STAGE

1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56

2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14

3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21

4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24

5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05

2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05

3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18

4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33

5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39

Masters%20of%20the%20Air
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cary%20Joji%20Fukunaga%2C%20Dee%20Rees%2C%20Anna%20Boden%2C%20Ryan%20Fleck%2C%20Tim%20Van%20Patten%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Austin%20Butler%2C%20Callum%20Turner%2C%20Anthony%20Boyle%2C%20Barry%20Keoghan%2C%20Sawyer%20Spielberg%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Updated: October 13, 2023, 10:03 AM`