Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi formed a formidable attack for Barcelona for three seasons. Reuters
Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi formed a formidable attack for Barcelona for three seasons. Reuters
Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi formed a formidable attack for Barcelona for three seasons. Reuters
Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi formed a formidable attack for Barcelona for three seasons. Reuters

Luis Suarez says Neymar 'always welcome' at Barcelona, sides with Lionel Messi in row with club over pay cuts


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Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has said former teammate Neymar would "always be welcome" back at the club.

Brazilian forward Neymar was part of Barca's fearsome 'MSN' front three alongside Suarez and Lionel Messi for three years before completing a sensational and record-breaking €222 million (Dh888m) move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

During the trio's first season together, in 2014/15, Barcelona won the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble, before claiming the domestic double the following season.

Since leaving for PSG, Neymar has been consistently linked with a return to the Spanish champions, and Suarez has welcomed the idea of the Brazil international once again turning out for Barca.

"Everybody knows 'Ney', we all know the affection we have for him in the dressing room," Suarez, 33, told Mundo Deportivo.

"His ability is indisputable and he still has so much to show. He will always be welcome in the changing room, we appreciate him a lot."

Suarez, who is recovering from right knee surgery, said it was "complicated" to talk about players joining Barca at this time of crisis with the coronavirus pandemic.

"I can talk about players, and these are huge players," he said when asked to discuss the rumours linking Neymar with a Barca return.

The Uruguayan also had warm words for Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, the 22-year-old Argentine whose name has also been associated with a move to Catalonia.

"Lautaro is a player who is progressing in Italy, he is a flexible centre-forward, with spectacular moves and that shows what a great striker he is."

______________________

Best pictures from El Clasico

  • Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, right, and Sergio Busquets of Barcelona challenge for a header during the clasico on February 3, 2020. Real won the match 2-0 at the Bernabeu. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, right, and Sergio Busquets of Barcelona challenge for a header during the clasico on February 3, 2020. Real won the match 2-0 at the Bernabeu. Reuters
  • Real Madrid fans during the match. AFP
    Real Madrid fans during the match. AFP
  • Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after fouling Real Madrid defender Marcelo. EPA
    Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after fouling Real Madrid defender Marcelo. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior gives his side the lead. EPA
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior gives his side the lead. EPA
  • Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after fouling Real Madrid defender Marcelo. Reuters
    Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after fouling Real Madrid defender Marcelo. Reuters
  • Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (L) in action against Barcelona's Antoine Griezmann. EPA
    Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (L) in action against Barcelona's Antoine Griezmann. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Barcelona. AFP
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Barcelona. AFP
  • Lionel Messi reacts after Barcelona go 1-0 down to Real Madrid. EPA
    Lionel Messi reacts after Barcelona go 1-0 down to Real Madrid. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior dives over Barcelona's German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. AFP
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior dives over Barcelona's German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos celebrates with fans. AFP
    Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos celebrates with fans. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates. AFP
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates. AFP
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior celebrates. AFP
  • Barcelona's Leo Messi in action against Real Madrid's Marcelo (L) and Raphael Varane (R). EPA
    Barcelona's Leo Messi in action against Real Madrid's Marcelo (L) and Raphael Varane (R). EPA
  • Real Madrid's Dominican forward Mariano Diaz scores his team's second goal. AFP
    Real Madrid's Dominican forward Mariano Diaz scores his team's second goal. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Dominican forward Mariano Diaz scores his team's second goal. EPA
    Real Madrid's Dominican forward Mariano Diaz scores his team's second goal. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Mariano Diaz celebrates scoring their second goal with Dani Carvajal. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Mariano Diaz celebrates scoring their second goal with Dani Carvajal. Reuters
  • Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi reacts as Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos celebrates his team's second goal. AFP
    Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi reacts as Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos celebrates his team's second goal. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Mariano Diaz (C) celebrates. EPA
    Real Madrid's Mariano Diaz (C) celebrates. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos celebrates their second goal. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos celebrates their second goal. Reuters
  • Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the pitch at the end of the match. AFP
    Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the pitch at the end of the match. AFP

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Questioned about how any eventual new signings would fit in Suarez said: "There will always be a healthy rivalry between us, and while we are all focused on the same objective, that is winning, any players who come in to help the team achieve its aims will always be welcome."

Suarez also offered his thoughts on the deal with the club that led the players to accept a 70 per cent wage cut. Messi publicly criticised Barca for their handling of the process and accused the club of applying pressure on players even after the squad had agreed to give up a part of their salaries to help non-playing staff.

"There were some things that were said that were false, like that the players didn't want to see their salaries reduced, that some were against it," Suarez said. "The [club management] were saying that without being part of the squad was annoying. It annoyed all the players."

Suarez said all the players were united from the start in wanting to help the club as much as possible.

"The deal was delayed because it's not easy to revoke the salary of 22-23 players," he said. "It was worked out between the club and the players' lawyers, but it wasn't easy to do."

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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Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Last-16

France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')

Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')

BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
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Match statistics

Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85

Eagles
Try:
Bailey
Pen: Carey

Exiles
Tries:
Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3

Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)

My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press

Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

The%20specs
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

While you're here
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km