DUBAI // Differences between the UAE Football Association and the Professional League Association have thrown the UAE's preparation plans for the defence of their Gulf Cup crown in disarray. Dominique Bathenay's side were scheduled to assemble on Dec 22 for a 12-day training camp before leaving for Oman on Jan 2. Friendly matches have also been fixed for that duration, with the UAE playing Iraq on Dec 27, Kuwait on Dec 30 and Syria in a possible third game.
Those plans, however, could change after the Competitions Committee of the PLA turned down a request to postpone the 11th round of the Pro League, which is scheduled for Dec 24. If they refuse to budge, the UAE side will takeon Iraq after just one day together. Yousuf Abdullah, the general secretary of the UAE FA, insists the PLA were consulted before making plans for the national team and they had agreed. The Competitions Committee of the PLA, on their part, claim the previous national coach Bruno Metsu had asked for just a 10-day camp and the matches were scheduled accordingly.
The UAE won the Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi two years agi and will kick-off the defence of their title on Jan 5 against Yemen, later meeting Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Group 2 of the competition and the top two teams will advance to the semi-finals. The other group includes hosts Oman, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain. The other teams taking part in the 19th edition of the Gulf Cup have already begun their preparations. Yemen are camping in Tunisia; Kuwait will train in Cairo, Iraq will assemble in Dubai on Dec 10 and take on the UAE and AC Milan here. Hosts Oman start a training camp on Dec 15.
Abdullah, however, is confident the Whites will be ready to defend their crown in the short training camp. "I think that is not a problem for us," he said. "We have a strong league with tough competition, so our players will be physically ready for the Gulf Cup. The players from countries like Iraq and Oman don't have that. I believe we will be fully ready by the time we leave for Oman." This embarrassing situation developed on a day three-time World Cup winners Germany announced their plans to play a friendly against the Bathenay's men in Dubai on June 2.
The Germans will play against the UAE for just the third time. They won 5-1 in the 1990 World Cup finals and prevailed 2-0 in a friendly in Abu Dhabi in 1994. Abdullah is excited about the game against the Germans, four days before the UAE's penultimate 2010 World Cup qualifier against South Korea. "You don't get to play a top team like Germany very often," he said. "This match will showcase UAE football to the world.
"Technically, it will be of not much value to us, but it will be massive game marketing wise." arizvi@thenational.ae
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Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
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Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
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Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
57%20Seconds
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
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