Italian football great Andrea Pirlo has been named as the new manager of UAE second-tier side United FC.
The former AC Milan and Juventus midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the club, also known as Dubai United, who play in the UAE First Division League, one tier below the country's top-flight Pro League.
It will be a fourth managerial role for Pirlo, 46, who has also had spells in charge of Juventus, Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey and most recently, Sampdoria.
"Pirlo brings with him a unique footballing vision and valuable coaching experience from spells at Juventus and Sampdoria," the club, who finished fourth last season, said in a statement.
“His arrival marks an exciting new chapter for United FC and reflects the club's growing ambition in the UAE football landscape.”
Club President Ilie Cebanu said: “We are proud to welcome Andrea to the United FC family. He embodies the values and ambitions of our club, and we believe he will be a key figure in taking us to the next level.”
As a player, Pirlo is widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation known for his effortless control, calmness in possession and pinpoint passing ability.
Pirlo's 26 goals from free-kicks in Serie A is second only to Serbian defender Sinisa Mihajlovic in the all-time Italian top-flight list.
He started his playing career at Brescia before joining Inter Milan in 1998 where he spent three seasons – which included spells out on loan with Reggina and back in Brescia – before moving to the AC Mila where he would play 400 games, scoring 41 goals and provide 71 assists.
It was at the San Siro's other club that Pirlo would establish as one of the world's finest over the next nine-and-half seasons that would see the Rossoneri win two Uefa Champions Leagues, Uefa Super Cups and Serie A crowns, as well as on Fifa Club World Cup and one Coppa Italia.
The silverware kept on coming after moving to Juventus in the summer of 2011 as Pirlo lifted the Serie A title in all of his four seasons with The Old Lady, as well as winning the Supercoppa Italia twice and the Coppa Italia.
He would make 164 appearances for Juve, scoring 19 goals and assisting a further 38 before spending the twilight of his playing career in the MLS with New York City FC.
For the national team, would play 113 games, scoring 13 and assisting 25, scoring in the 2006 World Cup final shoot-win over France that would see Italy crowned world champions for the first time in 24 years.
Pirlo's coaching career has failed to hit the heights of his playing one, despite replacing the sacked Maurizio Sarri as Juventus manager in August 2020 just one week after being put in charge of the Under-23 side.
“The decision for Pirlo was very natural, in the Juventus style, because he is someone who played for us, has always been in contact with everyone here and it felt natural,” said Juventus' chief football officer Fabio Paratici after the 41-year-old's appointment.
“We also believe he is predestined for greatness. He was as a player and we are confident he can do the same as a coach.”
But despite tasking charge of a side looking to make it 10 successive Serie A titles for Juve – and having the likes of Leo Bonucci, Dejan Kulusevski and Cristiano Ronaldo in his squad – Pirlo's reign lasted just one season.
They finished fourth in Serie A and were knocked out in the Champions League last-16 for a second successive season – beating Atalanta to win the Coppa Italia was not enough to save Pirlo and he was sacked the same month.
“It's been an intense, complicated year but still wonderful. When I got the call from Juventus, I never thought about the risk I was taking,” Pirlo said, who was replaced by former Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri.
“This adventure, despite an unexpected ending, made it even clearer what I would like my future to be, which I hope will be just as complete and fulfilling as the one I experienced as a player.”
His next managerial job arrived in the summer of 2022 was appointed as manager of Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk but was again sacked after less than a year with the team ninth in the Super Lig table.
A month later, and he was back in Italy, this time taking over at Sampdoria, who had just been relegated to Serie B.
The team finished seventh in his first campaign but Pirlo lasted just three games in the second after securing just a single point leaving with Sampdoria 19th in the table.
Pirlo's first game of the new UAE First Division League season sees United FC travel to the outskirts of Sharjah to take on Al Dhaid on September 20.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
THE%20SPECS
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
