The UAE may have not qualified for the Fifa World Cup, but there are plenty of connections to football in the country. We look at those in action in Russia who have played or managed in the Emirates, after the final squad lists were announced on Monday.
Tite (Brazil)
The Brazil manager had two stints in the UAE, first in charge of Al Ain and then Al Wahda. Both were incredibly brief, with his time in the Garden City spanning five months in 2007 and his stay in Abu Dhabi even less - 50 days in 2010. Tite left Wahda to go to Corinthians, whom he guided eventually to the Copa Libertadores title. It paved the way for his appointment at Brazil, where he is hugely popular.
Hector Cuper (Egypt)
The Egypt manager had led a much-travelled career that includes a four-month stint with Al Wasl from November 2013. Appointed amid much fanfare, the Argentine struggled to lift the Dubai club following Laurent Banide's poor start to the season, with Wasl winning four of 16 matches before he was dismissed. After 12 months out of the game, Cuper took charge of Egypt in March 2015, leading them to a first World Cup in 28 years.
Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
The Croatia manager enjoys a real affinity with the UAE having spent three largely successful years at Al Ain from 2014. During that time, he won the Arabian Gulf League and President's Cup, while also taking the club to the brink of a second Asian Champions League crown in 2016, only to lose in the final. Dalic left three months later, before answering an 11th-hour call to manage native Croatia towards the end of World Cup qualification.
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Read more on World Cup 2018:
World Cup 2018: Guides, predictions, galleries and where to watch in UAE
In pictures: The World Cup 2018 stadiums in Russia as seen from space
Absentee XI: Icardi, Morata, Nainggolan and others cut from their World Cup squads
Du and beIN Sports reach deal to show World Cup games
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Marcus Berg (Sweden)
The Al Ain striker heads to Russia in fine fettle following a superb debut season in the Emirates. Berg scored 36 goals in 36 appearances, including 25 in 21 matches in the Arabian Gulf League to shoot Al Ain to the title and secure the Golden Boot. His goal in the President's Cup final ensured his side clinched a historic double. Made Sweden debut in 2008, and struck eight times for Sweden in 2018 World Cup qualification.
Mbark Boussoufa (Morocco)
The experienced Moroccan is well known in the UAE having spent the past two seasons at Al Jazira. An accomplished midfielder, his impact in Abu Dhabi was almost immediate, with Boussoufa playing an integral role in the club's march to the 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League title. Scored a goal in December to put Jazira 2-0 up against Real Madrid in the Fifa Club World Cup only for it to be ruled out by VAR. Has played for Morocco since 2006.
Manuel Lanzini (Argentina)
Now an established Premier League star, the Argentine arrived in England following two seasons contracted to Al Jazira. The Abu Dhabi club pipped several prominent European sides to Lanzini's signature in August 2014, where he excelled initially before fading. Spent his second season on loan at West Ham United, making permanent the deal in March 2016. An exciting midfielder known for his dribbling ability and work-rate, he debuted for Argentina 12 months ago.
Mark Milligan (Australia)
The defensive midfielder represented Baniyas for two seasons from 2015. His time in Abu Dhabi was difficult, with the club relegated from the Arabian Gulf League at the conclusion of the 2016/17 campaign. Milligan returned to Melbourne Victory last July, before moving to Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli at the beginning of this year. With 67 caps, he was part of the Australia team who won the 2015 Asian Cup. He is appearing in his fourth World Cup.
Jefferson Farfan (Peru)
The Peruvian winger joined Al Jazira from Germany's Schalke in 2015, but injury restricted him to 11 appearances in his first season. Was initially expected to stay for the following campaign, only to be replaced in October 2016. A regular for his national team since debuting in 2003, Farfan scored in the second leg of the play-off against New Zealand last November to book Peru's place in Russia. They were the last of the 32 countries to do so.
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Read more on World Cup 2018:
In pictures: All 12 Russia 2018 World Cup stadiums
Etisalat offers first Fifa World Cup viewing deals
Lowdown: Where to watch 2018 Fifa World Cup matches in Abu Dhabi and kick-off times
Lowdown: Where to watch 2018 Fifa World Cup matches in Dubai and kick-off times
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Shikabala (Egypt)
A firm fan favourite when joining Al Wasl in 2012, the Egypt winger impressed during his first few months and looked set to star. Yet his relationship with his employers soured when he failed to report back that January for the resumption of the 2012/13 campaign. Shikabala has a chequered history with the Egypt national team, too, but the Zamalek attacking midfielder, now on loan at Saudi's Al Raed, returned to the side in October following a three-year absence.
Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal)
The mercurial Portuguese proved only a fleeting success during a six-month stay at Al Ahli in 2013. Formerly of Porto, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, Quaresma signed an 18-month contract, but soon returned to his homeland. He is currently back at Besiktas in Turkey, becoming a key component in their success. With 75 caps for Portugal, he replaced the injured Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2016 European Championship final to help his country land their first major international title.
Moussa Sow (Senegal)
Still the Arabian Gulf League's most expensive import, the Senegal forward never really settled in Dubai. Arriving from Fenerbahce in 2015 for a fee worth up to €17 million (Dh73m), Sow's late-season bloom fired the club to the Arabian Gulf League crown. However, he returned to Fenerbache on loan, then rejoined the newly merged Shabab Al Ahli Dubai before heading back out on loan, this time to Bursaspor. A regular for Senegal, Sow has been capped almost 50 times.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Jawan
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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