While England's Premier League may be the richest in the world, it has often been accused of lagging behind its European counterparts in some areas.
VAR technology was made mandatory a season after most other leagues - as well as Uefa's lucrative Champpions League - had implemented it.
For decades managers and players have complained about having to play too many matches in too short a time frame, particularly over the Christmas and New Year period. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been vocal in his concerns about the amount of games his players are forced to play, warning that the festive schedule was "killing" players.
The Premier League's continental neighbours in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A have always factored in a break to their schedule to allow players time off to enjoy the holidays with their families and loved ones.
The Premier League have acted by introducing a break, which comes into effect next month.
Why is the Premier League introducing a winter break?
The winter break has been introduced to the Premier League to help reduce fixture congestion and to give players a rest.
Arsenal have been one of the first clubs to take advantage of the break, announcing on Tuesday that the first-team squad will head to Dubai on February 7 for warm-weather training.
When does it start?
The 2019/20 Premier League winter break takes place in February 2020. It will work by splitting one game week across two weekends.
Two games will be played on Saturday, February 8 with another two the following day.
One match takes place on Friday, February 14 and another two on Saturday, February 15. There are two games slated for Sunday, February 16 before Chelsea v Manchester United wrap things up on the Monday.
Fixtures
Saturday, February 8 (all times UAE)
Everton v Crystal Palace, 4.30pm
Brighton v Watford, 9.30pm
Sunday, February 9
Sheffield United v Bournemouth, 6pm
Manchester City v West Ham, 8.30pm
Friday, February 14
Wolves v Leicester, midnight (Saturday)
Saturday, February 15
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Norwich City v Liverpool, 9.30pm
Sunday, February 16
Aston Villa v Tottenham, 6pm
Arsenal v Newcastle, 8.30pm
Monday, February 17
Chelsea v Manchester United, midnight (Tuesday)
It's not really a winter break, is it?
Not in the traditional sense, no. The Premier League has refrained from using the term. Instead, league officials have described it as a "mid-season player break".
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League One Shrewsbury Town force Liverpool FA Cup replay
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What about FA Cup replays?
In order to help with the implementation of the break the English Football Association agreed to move FA Cup fifth-round matches, which traditionally occurred in mid-February, to mid-week at the beginning of March.
But of course, this did not factor in fourth-round replays.
FA Cup fourth-round replays have been scheduled this season for February 4 and 5 - bang smack in the middle of the aforementioned mid-season player break.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has already insisted none of his first-team players will play against Shrewsbury Town, the third-tier club who came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against the Premier League leaders on Sunday.
"In April 2019, we got a letter from the Premier League where they asked us to respect the winter break, not to organise friendlies and not to organise competitive games in respect of it," Klopp said.
"I have said to the boys already, two weeks ago, that we will have a winter break, so it means we will not be there - it will be the kids who play that game because they cannot deal with us like nobody cares about it."
Conclusion
Long overdue. Should hopefully appease managers and players as well as fans who were petrified that any introduction of a mid-season break would mean no fixtures over the Christmas period.
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Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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”.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
