How does a club, an aristocrat of its domestic league, a heavyweight of its region respond to its worst league season for 17 years? It scours the transfer market and, in the case of Iran’s Esteghlal, it reaches deep into all known corners of it.
The Tehran giants, who begin their AFC Champions League Two campaign against Al Wasl in Dubai on Wednesday, have been very busy indeed over the summer.
For a start, they have a new manager, Ricardo Sa Pinto, who is returning to the role. Such has been the turnaround in the two years between Sa Pinto concluding his first spell with Esteghlal and beginning his second, seven others took charge of the first team in between.
All of them had a short stab at rescuing a 2024/25 season that petered towards a ninth-placed finish in the Persian Gulf League, the club’s worst placing since 2007/08.
They owe their participation in the second tier of Asian competition to the Hazfi Cup triumph that put a light gloss on an otherwise gloomy campaign.
At which point, in came Clarence Seedorf, in an advisory role to the club’s executives and with him, a worldliness reflected in the extensive summer recruitment.
Seedorf was a record-breaking midfielder in the 1990s and early 2000s, owner of 87 caps for the Netherlands and of European Cup-winning medals for Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan.
He is an eloquent authority on football from Europe to South America and of sites as far apart as China and Cameroon, two stops on a coaching CV that also included a stint at Milan and in Spain’s top division.
The squad Sa Pinto now oversees has a similar global reach. Among the parade of new signings is Albanian winger Jasir Asani, whose nine goals for Gwangju in last season’s AFC Champions League Elite were scored at a ratio close to one every game.
Centre-forward Duckens Nazon, the all-time leading marksman for Haiti. The 27-year-old Mali winger Moussa Djenepo, who spent four seasons with Southampton in the English Premier League in between adventures in Turkey and Belgium.
Defender Rustam Ashurmatov, a key contributor to Uzbekistan’s historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
There’s an ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper, Antonio Adan, whose long career across Iberia includes a Uefa Super Cup winners’ medal as well as league titles in Spain and Portugal.
And there’s a former Barcelona star, Munir El Haddadi, who won the European Cup as a teenager and whose storied journey notched up an unusual badge-of-honour having registered goals in Spain’s top division for seven different clubs.
El Haddadi is a pioneer, too, a pathfinder for many footballers of his generation and of generations to come. His legacy as a determined mould-breaker may well come to be remembered for longer than his many achievements on the pitch.
He’s the man who gave his name to what is sometimes known as ‘The Munir Rule,’ an important change in Fifa regulations governing at what point players with dual nationality could switch from one country to another for senior international football.
El Haddadi was born in Madrid, the son of a Moroccan father and a mother from Melilla, the Spanish enclave in North Africa. His talent as a schoolboy was exceptional, and, having been courted by Barcelona and enrolled in their celebrated La Masia academy at 16, he rose fast.
“He burned his way through the steps up the ladder at a speed that’s hard to manage,” remarked Luis Enrique, the Barca coach who promoted the 18-year-old El Haddadi to a first team that already had Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in its forward line.
He promptly scored on his Liga debut. He finished that season, 2014/15, with a European Cup, Liga and Copa del Rey treble.
Amid the gathering hype around Munir The Wunderkind, he was rushed into the Spain team, a confusing moment, as he later recalled.
He had been with the under-21s, and an injury to Diego Costa, Spain’s then centre-forward, ahead of a European Championship qualifier against Macedonia led the coach, Vicente Del Bosque, to summon El Haddadi to the seniors.
“There was such pressure,” El Haddadi, who had already been contacted by the Moroccan Football Federation about a possible international future with the Atlas Lions. “I was in tears because of it.” Del Bosque put El Haddadi on the bench but fielded him for the last 13 minutes against Macedonia.
He never played again for Spain, and as he built his club career, from in-and-out of the team at Barca, to loans at Alaves and Valencia as well as a happy and successful period at Sevilla, he yearned to represent the land of his heritage, Morocco.
But the rules on international switches then stated that those 13 minutes in a competitive game, as a bewildered teenager, for Spain, meant no switch would ever be allowed.
Del Bosque sympathised. Some international managers, especially in Europe, have in the past fast-tracked young dual-nationals into the senior team to stop them from committing to another country.
That had not been Del Bosque’s intention. “I feel guilty,” Del Bosque later said, “because for playing less than 15 minutes, he was given this burden. To my mind, there should have been flexibility to let him play for Morocco. We left him with so much work to do.”
That work involved several rounds of confrontation with Fifa to lighten its rules. El Haddadi and Morocco’s challenges kept being rebuffed. They appealed. They went as high up as the international Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Eventually, in 2020, Fifa amended it rules, so that a footballer who had made fewer than three senior appearances for one country could, provided he had eligibility to be a citizen of another, switch permanently, as long as he had not represented the first country in a major tournament.
The new rules have some other fine details, but essentially, the ‘Munir Rule’ had been the game-changer.
It has been significant for several players of Mena heritage, post-2020, who have weighed up the choice to play for Middle Eastern or North African national teams or the European country of their birth.
But for El Haddadi, there remains the feeling that the yields of his long battle came too late. He had taken on Fifa with a view to going to the 2018 World Cup with Morocco. The old rules prevented that.
By the time Morocco were embarking on their 2022 World Cup run – all the way to the semi-final – El Haddadi, who won 11 caps after his long-awaited 2021 Atlas Lions debut, had fallen out of contention, Morocco having strengthened their attacking options with several dual-nationals.
He turned 30 two weeks ago. That is still young enough to aspire to an international recall, and it gives El Haddadi plenty of time to galvanise a new-look Esteghlal and make a lasting impact in the new place he now calls home.
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
