Edwin van der Sar has been confirmed to speak at this month’s Dubai International Sports Conference, alongside Fabio Capello and Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper, now chief executive at Ajax, will make his first appearance at the event, which takes place at Madinat Jumeirah on December 28. This year’s theme for the conference is “Future Football Accelerators”.
Recognised as one of the game’s finest goalkeepers, Van der Sar’s professional career spanned 21 years and included spells at the likes of Ajax, Juventus and United as well as the Dutch national team with whom he won 130 caps.
He was a part of the Ajax and United sides that lifted the Champions League crown in 1995 and 2008, respectively. In all, he won 27 major trophies. Since retiring, Van der Sar has been a member of the Ajax boardroom.
Saeed Hareb, secretary general of Dubai Sports Council and chairman of DISC’s Organising Committee, said: “We are delighted to announce the participation of one of the best goalkeepers to ever play the game, Edwin van der Sar.
“Now the CEO of Ajax, the club where his senior professional career started, Van Der Sar is in a unique position, with experience of both sides of the fence: as goalkeeper, which is one of the most demanding positions in the game, and as a club chief executive.
“The experience he brings, and the insights he will offer at the conference, will really enrich the discussions we are going to have on December 28."
Capello, the former England manager who has coached a number of prominent clubs in Europe including Real Madrid, will make his ninth appearance at the event, which began in 2006 and is organised by Dubai Sports Council.
Soriano, meanwhile, is chief executive of City and parent company City Football Group. He will attend the conference for the third successive year.
“We are also delighted to welcome back Mr Fabio Capello and Mr Ferran Soriano, who have been two of the staunchest supporters of the Dubai International Sports Conference,” Hareb said. “Again, both will have some amazing insights to offer as we discuss the resurgence of English club football: the finals of both the 2019 Uefa Champions League and the 2019 Uefa Europa League were all-English affairs.
“It was the first time ever that four clubs from the same nation contested the two major European finals in the same season, and we have three top men to discuss the ascent of English football.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Getting%20there
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England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
