AC Milan were awaiting the belated return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from a protracted and productive coronavirus exile in Sweden that has fuelled speculation that the striker was returning home for good.
While most of his AC Milan teammates have had to sit idle because of the pandemic, Ibrahimovic was busy training in Sweden with players at Hammarby, a first-division club he part owns.
Unlike much of the rest of Europe, where containment has limited or prevented athletes training, in Sweden restrictions to contain Covid-19 have been more flexible.
The start of the Swedish league, scheduled for April 4, has been postponed but training has continued as long as players avoid close contact, unlike Italy where individual training only resumed this week.
On Tuesday, only Ibrahimovic and Ivory Coast striker Franck Kessie were absent at the Milanello centre for medical tests AC Milan had asked players to take, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
But on Friday morning, the same newspaper reported that the Swede was expected later in the day.
In Sweden, reports on Ibrahimovic's immediate intentions are contradictory. There have been reports that he was waiting for a clearer picture of how training and Serie A will resume. On the other hand, some media say he is poised to leave for Italy, where Serie A hopes to resume in June.
"If we start on May 4, I will return on May 3. If we start on May 9, I will arrive on May 8," the player was quoted by Swedish public television as saying in April.
The Italian government has not yet agreed to a plan for clubs to resume group training on May 18 and this week, Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned that it was "impossible to set a definite date" for Serie A to restart.
In Stockholm, life has been almost normal for the former Sweden international, who returned home with his family after the the break in the Italian championship.
His presence has fuelled the idea that the pandemic will precipitate Ibrahimovic's return to the Swedish league, where it all began for him 20 years ago in Malmo.
Ibrahimovic's contract, signed with Milan in December after a two-year stint in the USA with LA Galaxy, expires at the end of the season.
In an interview with Dplay, an online video service, Ibrahimovic said earlier in the spring that he had "a contract with Milan and [would wait and see] how it ends.
"I said: 'I want to play football for as long as I can, you never know what might happen'."
He added that he has also thought about what he will do in football when he stops playing.
"I want to learn something new about football, from a different perspective. I'll be contributing on the sidelines, not on the pitch," he told the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.
Hammarby chairman Richard von Yxkull told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter not to rule anything out, stressing that "it is not the club's decision."
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
