Hal Robson-Kanu, right, and Neil Taylor of Wales celebrate on the pitch with their children after the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Wales and Belgium at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Metropole, France, 01 July 2016. (EPA)
Hal Robson-Kanu, right, and Neil Taylor of Wales celebrate on the pitch with their children after the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Wales and Belgium at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Metropole, France, 01 July 2016. (EPA)
Hal Robson-Kanu, right, and Neil Taylor of Wales celebrate on the pitch with their children after the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Wales and Belgium at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Metropole, France, 01 July 2016. (EPA)
Hal Robson-Kanu, right, and Neil Taylor of Wales celebrate on the pitch with their children after the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Wales and Belgium at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Metro

Fun-hating Uefa asks Wales players to keep their kids off the pitch at Euro 2016


  • English
  • Arabic

PARIS – Yes, it is cute but, no, it is not safe.

Uefa explained Tuesday why it does not want players' children to join in post-match celebrations at the European Championship.

The scenes of toddlers in full Wales kit joining their dads on the pitch after another Euro 2016 win has added to the surprise semifinalist’s feel-good story and delighted spectators.

However, Uefa has asked for no more on-field family scenes when Wales plays Portugal in Lyon on Wednesday.

More

Ronaldo v Bale Welsh are 'streetwise' | Full Euro 2016 coverage

• Training galleries: Portugal | Wales

“It is a European Championship not a family party,” Uefa’s tournament director Martin Kallen said at a briefing.

“A stadium is not the most safe place for small kids,” Kallen said. There could be problems if fans invaded the field, and stadium staff operating machinery on the playing surface could also be an issue.

Among the most vivid and defining images of Euro 2016 was Wales star Gareth Bale laughing and chasing his three-year-old daughter, Alba Violet, across the Parc des Princes pitch in Paris after a 1-0 win against Northern Ireland in the round of 16.

“To be able to share it with my daughter and my family was emotional for me,” Bale said later. “Obviously I haven’t seen them for four or five weeks now. It’s an amazing experience, one I’ll never forget.”

After stunning Belgium in the quarter-finals last Saturday, an entire team’s worth of players’ children had a kickabout in the goalmouth in front of the Wales fans in the stadium at Lille.

“It is nice pictures,” Kallen acknowledged. “We are not 100 percent against it but we are cautious.”

The Wales team is following a recent football tradition of players celebrating with their children, especially after cup finals.

“It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area,” Kallen said. “The principle is how far you go with having other people on the pitch than the players. People with accreditation cards should be on the pitch and not more.”

Kallen said Uefa has a responsibility to identify risk and ensure safety inside stadiums.

“Small kids of five, six years – if something happened, what do you do afterwards? What do you say?” he said. “From our side there should be a certain order.”

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

MATCH INFO

Brescia 1 (Skrinia og, 76)

Inter Milan 2 (Martinez 33, Lukaku 63)

 

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:

Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4

Second leg:

Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz 

VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS

Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)

Essentials

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.

The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.

 

Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.