Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has admitted he could leave the club if the two-year suspension from European football is upheld.
In February, City were banned from European club competitions for the next two seasons and handed a €30 million (Dh118m) fine after an investigation by the independent Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) into allegations the club breached Uefa’s licensing and financial fair play regulations.
City swiftly registered their appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), with chief executive, Ferran Soriano, expecting the decision to be overturned as "irrefutable evidence" has been provided to prove the club's innocence.
While City are confident the suspension will be dropped, De Bruyne has warned that two years without Champions League football could influence any decisions regarding his future.
"I'm just waiting. The club has told us that they are going to appeal and that they is almost one hundred per cent sure that they are right. That's why I'm waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team," the Belgian midfielder told HLN.
"Once the statement is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, in the case of one year I might see."
De Bruyne, 28, joined City from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2015 and has established himself as arguably the finest midfielder in the Premier League, playing a central role in his team's successive league title triumphs and last season's unprecedented domestic treble.
The Belgium international has therefore become a prime target for transfer rumours, with speculation linking him with a future move to the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, De Bruyne insists he has never had his head turned during his time at City.
"I play for one of the best teams in the world, play in England - for my competitive view the best competition - and I like that," he said. "It remains a challenge to be the best and I need that too. What is coming is coming.
"But it's not that I've tried to leave City in those five years. I have also remained calm for my previous transfers. I have never had any problems and have always waited for my moment. With respect, because I think you get most of it back. Even outside of football."
While City have become an attractive destination for many top players in recent years, the opportunity to play under Pep Guardiola has been an added incentive since the Spaniard took charge in 2016.
Guardiola's current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 season and it is unclear if he will extend his stay at the Etihad, although De Bruyne said his own future is not dependent on Guardiola's.
"I think Pep said he will take his year anyway no matter what. Then his contract ends. But I'm not going to let my decision depend on what Pep is doing," he said.
"Of course I have already worked with other trainers and when Pep leaves, I have to continue working with someone else. But I haven't really paid much attention to that for the time being. There are more important things at the moment."
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
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On sale: Now
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
THE SPECS
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
The Transfiguration
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
