If Tottenham Hotspur had been given their choice of opponent when the draw for the Champions League final qualifying round was made two weeks ago, they probably would have picked Young Boys of Berne. European heavyweights such as Sevilla, Zenit St Petersburg and Dynamo Kiev were also in the hat for Uefa's non-champions path to the tournaments group stages. Young Boys reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1959, but recent performances of teams from Switzerland suggests they should not present to much of a challenge for a Spurs team packed with internationals.
The English club have never played Champions League football, but some of the squad have. One of those is Heurelho Gomes, the Brazilian goalkeeper signed from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven two seasons ago, and he cannot wait to step back into the Champions League arena. Gomes was part of the PSV side that reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2005, losing to AC Milan. The goalkeeper enjoyed an outstanding campaign last season, after a much-criticised beginning to his time at White Hart Lane, which included a few high-profile handling errors. But he was part of the side that beat Manchester City to fourth place in the Premier League last season, qualifying for a two-legged Champions League play-off in the process.
The first leg is at the Stade de Suisse in Berne tonight, with the second leg a week later. "It's great to be in the Champions League again," Gomestold Tottenham's official website. "I played in it for four years at PSV and I know how good it is, it's amazing to play Champions League with Tottenham now. "We deserve it. We showed a lot of quality last season, improved a lot and now we'll see how good it is. It's the most important club competition in the world."
Despite their lack of European pedigree, Young Boys beat Turkish side Fenerbahce away in the previous round. "They did really well to beat Fenerbahce. We all hope to get past them, but we know it will be difficult," said Gomes. * Agency Young Boys v Tottenham, 10.45pm, Aljazeera Sport +3 and +4
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Tomorrow 2021
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• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
While you're here
Watch: Davos 2021 panel discusses the future of work for women
Alice Haine: Investing in gender parity 'makes good business sense'
Kareem Shaheen: How the pandemic could set Arab women back
Simon Rushton: Home schooling forces UK mothers to quit jobs
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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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.
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- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
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That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
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The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
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Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
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Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
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Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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