Denilson, centre, says he has no worries about settling in the Middle East after moving to Al Wahda. Douglas Magno / AFP
Denilson, centre, says he has no worries about settling in the Middle East after moving to Al Wahda. Douglas Magno / AFP
Denilson, centre, says he has no worries about settling in the Middle East after moving to Al Wahda. Douglas Magno / AFP
Denilson, centre, says he has no worries about settling in the Middle East after moving to Al Wahda. Douglas Magno / AFP

Sao Paulo, Arsenal, now Al Wahda: Denilson vows to ‘succeed’ in Arabian Gulf League


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Denilson has said he is determined to repay the faith Al Wahda have shown in him following the completion of his transfer from Sao Paulo.

The Brazilian midfielder, 27, arrived in the UAE this week to undergo a medical and finalise his three-year contract with the Abu Dhabi club.

Denilson, who played for Premier League side Arsenal for seven years from 2006, is Wahda’s first signing since they appointed Javier Aguirre as coach earlier this month. He has replaced Adil Hermach, the Moroccan midfielder.

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Denilson credited compatriot Magrao, the former Wahda midfielder, with convincing him to join. The Brazilian mediated negotiations, which Denilson described as relatively straightforward. He also cited the opportunity to experience a new country and culture as reason for the move.

“It’s always a good thing to try to live in a new country and discover new things,” Denilson told the Arabic press. “These are important moments for my family and me.

“I’ve heard a lot about Al Wahda and Abu Dhabi and about life in the UAE. I promise to give my best and to make my best efforts with the team and for the team. I also promise to gain the trust of the administration and the club’s fans. This is a new challenge for me as a footballer and I must succeed in it.”

Denilson said he has already watched a selection of Wahda matches and identified Sebastian Tagliabue and Ismail Matar as players he is looking forward to working with. The Arabian Gulf League club, who finished fourth last season, represent Denilson’s first experience of football in the Middle East, since he began his career at Sao Paulo before switching to Arsenal.

After 153 appearances with the London club, he was loaned back to Sao Paulo in 2011 and then made permanent the move two years later.

“I like stability. I’ve played for only two clubs so far: Sao Paulo, where I learnt to play, and Arsenal, whom I joined at 17,” Denilson said. “Then I returned to Sao Paulo again.

“Now that I’ve signed with Al Wahda, I look at Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a second home. I know I must be focused and prove that the club was right to choose me to defend its colours.

“I wasn’t apprehensive at all to take on this new challenge. There are many players who don’t appreciate moving to play in the Middle East, but I learnt that football here is good and there’s great passion for it.

“I’m looking forward to meeting Al Wahda’s fans on the pitch and I intend to present myself well at the club in order to achieve championships. I know that Al Wahda fans are loyal and they adore their team.”

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The lowdown

Badla

Rating: 2.5/5

Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment 

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke

Scores in brief:

Day 1

New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38

Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)

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The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press 

The past winners

2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:

Juventus 1 Ajax 2

Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate

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
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST

Premier League

Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm 

Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm  

Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm 

Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm 

Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)

Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm 

Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm

Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm

Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm 

Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm

Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm 

Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm

Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm

 

Company profile

Name: Tratok Portal

Founded: 2017

Based: UAE

Sector: Travel & tourism

Size: 36 employees

Funding: Privately funded

 

 

'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5