Messi to Busquets. Then to Messi again. A gentle, cushioned touch of the ball; a look up; a pause, and then a stroked pass to his left precisely into the instep of Sergi Roberto. You’ve seen that sequence hundreds of times, the best footballer in the world setting the tempo of Barcelona’s patient pass-and-move.
But to see it on a bright May Monday in the Barcelona suburb of Sant Joan Despí felt almost as thrilling as in front of 90,000 at Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s captain was participating in a group training drill at the club’s practice campus, the first such session in more than two months. Clean-shaven and evidently focused, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique, the club’s longest serving senior players, were in the same grouping, performing their ‘rondos’, the drill where they gather in a circle, passes played around and across, with two or three ‘opponents’ trying to intercept.
Ten is the maximum number allowed in any group engaged in collective practice under the safety protocols drawn up by Spain’s La Liga as it prepares for restarting matches next month after the coronavirus-imposed shutdown. The journey to full 11 against 11 will be made via staggered easing of restrictions. But Monday’s shift from individual practice to a fuller, interactive training was greeted as a watershed.
“It felt good to be passing to a teammate, and not to have to play passes against a wall,” said Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic. “You could see the adrenalin starting to flow.”
Some of the heightened anticipation had clearly carried over from Germany, where a full programme of top division matches took place between Saturday afternoon and Monday evening. The Bundesliga is the pathfinder for all the leading European leagues that intend to complete the suspended 2019/20 season, and although one German weekend can hardly guarantee that 'biosecure football' is now an idea fully tried-and-tested, the momentum has been set, and plans advanced, so long as an acceptably low number of positive results emerge from the coronavirus tests that players and staff will be required to take every week.
Barcelona’s Rakitic has been in touch with Manuel Neuer, the Bayern Munich captain and a former teammate at Schalke, about the Bundesliga’s resumption, and heard optimism. “They are well ahead of us,” he said, acknowledging that the containment of the pandemic in Germany makes conditions there very distinct from Spain, England or Italy, where Covid-19 has cost far more lives than in Germany.
But the leagues in Spain, England, and Italy are all hopeful of staging matches in June. Premier League clubs voted unanimously to follow the Bundesliga lead and, as of Tuesday, players were permitted to practice in small groups at training grounds, although a decision on when full-contact practice will be permitted will only be taken next week. The Premier League had targeted the weekend of June 12 as a possible restart date for matches - to be staged behind-closed-doors, as is the case almost everywhere - but have privately acknowledged that may have to be delayed.
Meanwhile, in Serie A, the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus headquarters for the first time in 72 days, the Portuguese having spent most of the last two months in his native Madeira, was taken as a symbolic sign that Italian football is gearing up for an imminent return to a form of normality. But there are major hurdles still to overcome in agreeing an acceptable medical protocol for full training, and the government in Rome on Monday prohibited any sporting events in Italy until June 14.
Uefa, who hope to stage the remaining fixtures in the Champions League and Europa League in August, are encouraged that the Bundesliga template will act as a spur to domestic leagues, and even that France's Ligue 1, which was declared closed for 2019/20 after the government in Paris banned all team sports until September, might, in conjunction with the French public health authorities, reassess their situation.
France's Ministry for Sport reluctantly supported the Ligue 1 abandonment citing the Uefa recommendation that domestic seasons should be completed by early August at the latest. But, according to Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president, in a letter to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, "those dates [including the supposed August 3rd 'deadline'] were only recommendations, not official."
Uefa are also studying the implications of possible quarantine laws proposed by governments in Britain and Spain. Should severe restrictions on travel in and out of those countries - and a requirement that visitors should be quarantined for two weeks after arrival - be in force in August, the two-legged home and away structure of the Uefa competitions would need to be revised.
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
