John Terry will complete terms on a new Chelsea contract on half his current salary, but assistant coach Steve Holland says the former England centre-back will agree “amicably” in the near future.
Holland rejected suggestions of tension between the club and the 33-year-old veteran and intimated that the Blues are also closing in on new deals for long-serving duo Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard.
"John has had an outstanding season. We have the best defensive record in the Premier League and he's played in almost all of that and been a major part of it all," Holland said ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
“I know that John wants to stay at Chelsea and Chelsea want John to stay, so hopefully that situation can be concluded amicably over the next few weeks.”
He said Lampard and Cole are in “the same situation”.
“We’re dealing with not just normal players, but magnificent servants for this club over a long period. Full respect will be given for those players,” Holland said.
Eden Hazard will not play today and "remains a doubt" for Chelsea's Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg trip to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.
Jose Mourinho’s experience of successful trophy bids on multiple fronts could prove crucial as Chelsea chase both Premier League and Champions League crowns.
“Experience is vital in any competition and we have a good blend in our squad,” Holland said. “We have many players that haven’t been in this situation before, but also a good group that have.
“We also have a very experienced manager who has been in this situation before and it’s good to have that experience at this stage.
“We’ve got the circumstances we have – this is a club used to playing a lot of matches at this stage of the season. Last season we got to the final of the Europa League, which was 15 extra matches, the year before we had 13 for the Champions League.
“We’re in a situation we’ve been in before.”
Sunderland will be reinforced by the return of defender Ondrej Celustka, who has not made a senior appearance since the FA Cup victory over Southampton on February 15. He has recovered from a knee problem and his presence is timely, with Phil Bardsley still to complete his two-match ban.
Liam Bridcutt (personal reasons), Ki Sung-yueng (knee) and Carlos Cuellar (hamstring) are still unavailable.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
