Gloves, gaffes and a generational shift
There was a touching scene at the end of Manchester United's 1-0 win at Benfica on Matchday 3.
Romelu Lukaku, the United striker made a point of giving an encouraging pep talk to his Belgian compatriot, Mile Svilar, who had a testing Uefa Champions League debut.
Svilar is 18, and his goalkeeping error, misjudging how close he was to his line when he clutched a Marcus Rashford free-kick, caused the game’s only goal.
By starting ahead of the veteran Brazilian Julio Cesar, a former European Cup winner, Svilar broke the record for the youngest keeper to play in the competition, held since 1999 by the great Iker Casillas.
Ironically, Casillas, now at Benfica’s rivals Porto, has been dropped by his Portuguese club, having just set his own record of appearing in the Champions League for 19 successive seasons, most of them during his decorated career with Real Madrid.
Casillas, 36, still harbours ambitions of going with Spain, who he captained while they were and European champions, to the next World Cup. He will not achieve that from the bench at Porto, who like Benfica face a fierce fight to even make the knockout stages of this Champions League.
At least Svilar, as Lukaku reminded him, has many attainable targets in his long future – perhaps even Russia 2018 – with Serbia, where his father comes from, trying to entice him away from Belgium, for whom he is a youth international.
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From Andy Mitten
Mourinho's side a far cry from class of '66
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Conte’s Roman Remains
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has mixed memories of Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, where he takes his Blues for a potential red-carpet evening.
The last time Conte, a Juventus hero as player and manager, was involved in a Champions League match at the Olimpico was the 1996 final, playing for Juve against Ajax.
Conte finished that night with a gold medal, although he was in excruciating pain, substituted when his leg swelled up after a collision with Ajax’s combative Edgar Davids. Conte ended up in hospital, in – as he put it – “the worst pain I ever experienced as a player".
His Juve reached the next two finals, lost both, and lost another in 2003.
The Champions League felt just as bittersweet for him in three seasons as Juve manager. Roma, who came back from 2-0 down to lead at Stamford Bridge in a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw 13 days ago, have already tantalised him in his first stab at Europe with Chelsea.
Monaco downsized
Monaco, thrilling semi-finalists last season, are in serious danger of crashing out at the first hurdle, as they travel to group leaders Besiktas. The evidence of how weakened their squad was by summer sales is spread out before them.
Kylian Mbappe, who left for Paris Saint-Germain, is breezing to the next round, where he may well be joined this week by Bernardo Silva, sold to Manchester City, and Tiemoue Bakayoko, who departed Monte Carlo for Chelsea.
Premier League pacesetters
Still celebrating the fact that England are the new Under 17 world champions and holders of the U20 World Cup, English football contemplates another boost to self esteem.
By Wednesday night, it could have four clubs – the two Manchesters and both Londoners, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – assured of a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, with two matches to spare.
Liverpool also top their group.
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From Richard Jolly
The Premier League team of the week
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Catalans Empowered
Might Uefa soon be making space for a new country?
Events in north-east of Iberia have been interpreted by campaigners for a Catalonia national football team – recognised by Fifa and independent of Spain – as a step towards their dream.
Catalonia, where political secession has become a defining issue, would certainly be competitive on the pitch and could field a useful XI just from eligible players at Champions League clubs.
Try this line up: In goal, Kiko Casilla, of Real Madrid; a back four of Aleix Vidal, Gerard Pique (both Barcelona), Marc Bartra (Dortmund) and Jordi Alba (Barca); the Barcelona pair Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets alongside Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas in midfield; up front, Barca winger Gerard Deulofeu, plus the Monaco duo of Keita Balde, the ex-Lazio speedster who was born and grew up near Girona, and Jordi Mboula, the 18-year-old signed from Barcelona and now pressing for his senior Monaco debut after four goals in his last three Uefa Youth League matches.
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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
