Javier Mascherano took a pay cut to join Barcelona. So did Cesc Fabregas. That is sometimes the way of the things for the super-rich. They do not even need to use all of their wealth.
Barcelona’s slogan, “mes que un club”, had proved prophetic – they had come to seem an ideal, not just a club.
Footballers admired Barcelona for the purism, the philosophy and the silverware. They wanted to gravitate to Barcelona, whatever the cost. Such were their seductive powers.
Unlike virtually every normal club, they were unaccustomed to rejection. It simply did not happen to them.
Until, that is, Neymar told them he wanted to leave.
It is not merely his transfer fee, with Paris Saint-Germain needing to activate the €222 million (Dh967.8m) buyout clause and more than double the world record, which will send shockwaves around the footballing world.
It is the fact that someone has turned Barcelona down.
Very few walk away from Barcelona when at the peak of their powers and playing a pivotal part in the team: the original Ronaldo did, to join Inter Milan, and Diego Maradona, to sign for Napoli, but both happened before Barca became the 21st-century behemoth – the blend of style and success that seemed to render them the ultimate destination club.
Others wanted to come. Neymar has chosen to go.
It is probable that Barcelona, suddenly furnished with the game’s biggest transfer budget and with a need to reassert their pulling power, will seek a statement signing of their own.
Liverpool should certainly brace themselves for a bigger bid for Philippe Coutinho, even if he is likelier to be Andres Iniesta’s direct replacement than the new Neymar. Paulo Dybala seems the likeliest candidate, although Juventus’ Argentine lacks Neymar’s profile and commercial appeal.
Neymar did not just offer stardust.
In three seasons together, he, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored a combined 364 goals. Defenders may enjoy seeing the MSN reduced to just the MS. If Neymar came last in the acronym, his exit shows he was not satisfied with competing with Suarez for second billing behind Messi.
Yet he runs the risk of being the remembered as the man who turned his back on perfection.
Because, though advocates of Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas may disagree, they formed arguably the greatest forward line ever assembled, even if Barcelona’s last two Uefa Champions League campaigns were curtailed at the quarter-final stage.
One possibility is that, shorn of Neymar, with Iniesta in the autumn of his career and with Pep Guardiola’s influence fading, the Catalans slip back to the pack, perhaps leaving Real Madrid alone as the sole superpower left.
Another is that PSG will supplant them at the summit.
Also from Richard Jolly: How Neymar could redraw map of European football with move
That certainly has to be the intention. They have belonged in second bracket of European forces, serial quarter-finalists who have not reached the last four of the Champions League since their star players were George Weah and David Ginola.
It will not be enough for PSG simply to regain the French title. With Monaco weakened by the sales of Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko, they ought to do that anyway. Owners Qatar Sports Investment are clearly targeting Champions League titles. As no French club have won the competition since a Marseille team tainted by corruption in 1993, that would be transformative.
Ian Hawkey: PSG have traditionally had a Brazilian core which Neymar could add to
But it is hard to see how PSG can expect to pass Financial Fair Play, even if Neymar’s signing leads to a fire sale of squad players to raise funds. The fee is so vast that it seems certain to remain not just a world record but an outlier.
Perhaps the decision will be so rare that it continues to stand out. Perhaps no other star will walk out on Barca.
But in the meantime, Neymar’s decision has the potential to seem era-defining. It will be hugely profitable, but that does not necessarily make it wise.
SPECS
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HAJJAN
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
The years Ramadan fell in May
SWEET%20TOOTH
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Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The%20specs
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Crime%20Wave
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Company%20Profile
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Specs%20
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Company%20profile
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
