Copa del Rey final: Barcelona v Alaves, Vicente Calderon, kick-off 11.30pm (UAE), live on Abu Dhabi Sports HD
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has called on his side to give manager Luis Enrique a fitting send off in Saturday’s Copa del Rey against Alaves.
Barca could win a third consecutive Copa del Rey under Enrique in the final at the Vicente Calderon, the same stage Pep Guardiola bowed out on as manager in 2012, which would mean a ninth trophy out of 13 competitions entered in his three seasons.
Despite being the club’s third-most decorated manager, Enrique has not earned anything like the praise of Guardiola and Johan Cruyff, the two above him in that ranking, and has received plenty of criticism during his tenure for his prickly relationship with the media and for the team’s relative inconsistency in his third campaign.
“He deserves a great final. He’s been one of the best in the club’s history and what better way to bid farewell to him than with a trophy,” Pique said on Friday ahead of the final.
“The easiest thing to highlight is the trophies he has won, but I will always remember the way he has treated us. Perhaps he hasn’t had the best relationship in the world with the press, but in the dressing room he won us all over.
“It’s been three magnificent years, for what we’ve won and for many other things. I hope he can leave on a high, with one more trophy.”
The Cup final is Barca’s last chance of a trophy this season after surrendering the Primera Liga title to Real Madrid and exiting the Uefa Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Italian champions Juventus.
They are looking for a record-extending 29th Copa del Rey triumph, while their opponents are hoping to get their hands on some silverware in their first appearance in a domestic final. Alaves, who finished ninth in the Primera Liga in their first top flight season in a decade, were beaten 5-4 after extra-time by Liverpool in a thrilling Uefa Cup final in 2001.
“They have a unique opportunity to win a trophy, and I’m sure they’re going to be very motivated so we have to match their motivation and make our technical and tactical ability count,” Pique said.
“We want to control the game and play it how we know best.”
Alaves stunned Barca earlier in the season by winning 2-1 at the Camp Nou as Enrique’s heavy squad rotation backfired, although the Catalans avenged the defeat by hammering the Basques 6-0 away from home in February.
* Reuters
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
SPECS
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
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Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
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The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
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Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
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Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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