The last few weeks of the German Bundesliga season were thrown into chaos on Thursday night as a coronavirus outbreak at Hertha Berlin forced the capital club into a two-week quarantine.
Relegation-threatened Hertha said that they had requested the postponement of their next three games after defender Marvin Plattenhardt became the fourth member of playing and coaching staff to test positive in a single day.
"As a result of the cases, we are forced to go into a 14-day quarantine at home," sporting director Arne Friedrich said in a statement. "That is the right step from a health perspective, but it is obviously a blow from a sporting perspective."
After manager Pal Dardai, assistant manager Admir Hamzagic and Belgium striker Dodi Lukebakio returned positive tests on Thursday morning, Hertha had initially planned to isolate together as a team in a local hotel, leaving only for training and matches.
Yet that idea was torpedoed by the latest positive test, with local health authorities imposing what Hertha called "stricter measures".
The two-week quarantine period also covers a round of midweek fixtures, meaning Hertha will have to reschedule their away Bundesliga match at Mainz on Sunday, the home game againt Freiburg next Wednesday and the visit to bottom side Schalke on April 24.
Friedrich said the team would hold "virtual training sessions" at home in a bid to stay fit for the rest of the relegation fight.
Yet the outbreak also provides the Bundesliga with a scheduling headache, with the German Football League (DFL) under pressure to complete the season by the end of May before players leave for the European Championships in the summer.
Similar outbreaks had already plunged the second division into chaos this month, with three clubs currently unable to play in self-isolation.
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
SPECS
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
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Price: From Dh79,600
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
