Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, centre, Neymar and Lionel Messi celebrate a goal in a La Liga match in February. Juan Medina / Reuters
Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, centre, Neymar and Lionel Messi celebrate a goal in a La Liga match in February. Juan Medina / Reuters
Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, centre, Neymar and Lionel Messi celebrate a goal in a La Liga match in February. Juan Medina / Reuters
Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, centre, Neymar and Lionel Messi celebrate a goal in a La Liga match in February. Juan Medina / Reuters

Football

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez had to ‘adapt movements’ to thrive with Leo Messi and Neymar

Barcelona's final ingredient, Luis Suarez, says he had to 'just adapt your movements and a few things FC Barcelona dictate' to reach his full potential next to Leo Messi and Neymar.

Agence France Presse

April 01, 2016

  • English
  • Arabic

Uruguayan star Luis Suarez believes his success in turning around Barcelona's fortunes in the past two seasons has been thanks to adapting his game to strike partners Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Heading into Saturday's clasico against Real Madrid, Suarez is Barca's top scorer with 43 goals in as many games this season. The Catalan giants remain on course to repeat the La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey triumph they won in Suarez's debut campaign last season.

“La Liga is very different to the Premier League,” said the former Liverpool star who moved to Spain in 2014 in an €82 million (Dh341.7m) deal on the back of Barca’s first trophyless season for six years.

“Everyone knows that it’s completely different and what you need to do is always be yourself, don’t change, just adapt your movements and a few things FC Barcelona dictate, but the thing I cared about was being a good teammate,” he added.

Read more: Want tickets for Barcelona v Real Madrid at Camp Nou? You and everybody else

Also see: Barcelona's Leo Messi lights up Argentina in World Cup qualifying – in pictures

“I think this is something I achieved from the beginning and one can see all the things we’ve achieved so far,” he declared at the launch of a partnership between Barcelona and appliances company Beko.

Barca lead Real Madrid by 10 points with just eight games remaining ahead of Saturday's clash, with a Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid and cup final versus Sevilla to come.

Barca head into clasico on a 39-game unbeaten run stretching back to October.

Turkish international Arda Turan has yet to taste defeat in a Barca jersey as he was only cleared to play in January after Barca had served a 12-month ban on registering new players.

And Turan has no doubt that Barca will wrap up a sixth La Liga title in eight seasons in the coming weeks.

“We feel great. We believe we’ll be the champions so we work harder every day; we fight more! I believe we’ll be the champions. We are the best team.”

The clasico, the most watched game in world football, is Barca's first since legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff passed away at the age of 68 after a short battle with cancer last week.

A pre-match display involving over 90,000 fans will read “thank you Johan” with the same message carried on the Barca players’ shirts.

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While you're here
While you're here
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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
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Saturday

AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)

Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)

Benevento v Parma (5pm)

Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)

Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)

Lazio v Spezia (5pm)

Napoli v Crotone (5pm)

Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)

Torino v Juventus (8pm)

Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
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