DUBAI // Al Ahli's blueprint for a return to the top of UAE football took shape last night as Fabio Cannavaro, the former Italy captain, trained for the first time with his new teammates under the gaze of David O'Leary, the club's new manager.
As the temperature barely dipped under 40°C on the training field, Cannavaro might have been wondering if this was exactly the type of thing a former World Player of the Year should really be signing up for at the ripe age of 36. However, Ahli now have a back-up staff containing a wealth of English Premier League coaching experience, and there is no place to hide.
In addition to O'Leary, Ahli also have a new assistant coach, Roy Aitken, the former Scotland captain who was a vital backroom cog in Birmingham City's impressive Premier League campaign last season, and a goalkeeping specialist, Tony Coton, formerly of Manchester United.
On the eve of the third Pro League season, this was the clearest evidence yet that the concept of professionalism has finally arrived on these shores.
O'Leary has been bought to Dubai on a three-year contract. By the end of that term, Abdullah al Naboodah, the club's chairman of directors, wants Al Ahli to function like an English Premier league club.
"I don't know what will happen over the next three years, but I hope we will be a great success," O'Leary said. "This club finished eighth last season. The president wants success here.
"When we hand it back after three years, we want it to be in far better shape than when we got it. We will only be judged after those three years.
"I don't see it as a stepping stone. The challenge was to come here and try to restructure the whole club, the academy, the reserve team, as well as the fitness and the medical side of things. It was an overall challenge, and what we want to do now is get people to buy into our ideas.
"The people here have their own way of doing things, but what we want to do is make the club far, far more professional, run like a Premier League football club."
Last night was Cannavaro's first training session since his Italy side exited the World Cup a month ago, and O'Leary revealed his club's flagship signing is not yet a certain starter when Ahli kick-off their Pro League campaign on August 26 against Al Dhafra.
"He has come back from a long break after the World Cup,"O'Leary said. "I don't know when he will be up to match fitness, but I am definitely hopeful to have him for the first game."
@Email:pradley@thenational.ae
Al Ahli are close to adding youth team specialist Alex Gibson, the former Manchester City Academy coach, to their ever-expanding roster of British backroom staff, Tony Coton, the Dubai side's goalkeeping coach, said yesterday.
"Alex Gibson, the City youth coach, has been contacted and I think he's coming," said Coton.
After guiding 31 Academy players to the first-team during his 12 years at City, the former English Football Association coach left Eastlands last week. Gibson cited "personal reasons" for his departure.
Greg Cunningham, 19, the City defender, paid tribute to Gibson for helping him and many others rise through the ranks at the club. "Alex is a brilliant coach," said the Irishman who, under Gibson's guidance, made two first-team appearances for the senior side last season. "He was fantastic to work with, I'm sorry to see him leave but I wish him all the best for the future."
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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6.30pm: HH The President’s Cup (PA) Group 1 Dh2.5million 2,200m
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7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
