La Liga will launch a football academy in the UAE in September, marking the first time the organisation has set up such an initiative outside its traditional base in Spain.
The programme, which will use three venues in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi, aims to provide an opportunity for UAE-based players to be scouted to play professional football either nationally or internationally. It will be open to children aged 5 to 16, who will be mentored by Uefa Pro-Level certified La Liga coaches. Month-long summer camps in Spain will also be provided, free of charge, where players will play friendlies against youth teams from clubs in the Primera Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, and potentially be scouted.
“We’re very proud of this,” said Fernando Sanz, the former Real Madrid defender who now acts as La Liga’s general director for Mena and head of their International Sports Projects. “The institutions here, both private and public, push a lot in terms of football and in the development of youth, so we feel the UAE is the best place to start this new programme.
“The goal is to give all this country’s youth the opportunity to develop through sports and, of course, football. La Liga will provide the right coaches and give the opportunity for La Liga scouts to come here and see if some of the players can play with their clubs.”
The academy will initially cater for up to 800 children across its four venues, although La Liga expect that number to increase with the need to expand to more locations. At present, they will be based in Dubai at Safa Community School, Emirates English Speaking School and Gems Nations Academy, while in Abu Dhabi they have chosen British School Al Khubairat. Already, there are provisions for another site in the capital.
The initiative also offers the chance to secure full football scholarships at leading universities in the United States and Europe. Already, La Liga has contacted with 44 Division One colleges in America.
“The purpose of the La Liga Academy is to develop the skills of the youth here in the UAE so they are able to play professional football at a high level,” said Hussein Mrad, the CEO of Inspiratus, La Liga’s local support agency. “La Liga are bringing the highest standard of football through a very high level of coaches, all of them Uefa certified, every single one of them an ex-coach at La Liga and also a professional scout, so they can recognise the talent and build on it.”
La Liga already boasts significant links with the UAE dating back to 2013, when it opened offices in Dubai – its first permanent base outside Spain. In 2015, the organisation signed a three-year agreement with the Pro League Committee, its UAE equivalent, and last year launched its inaugural High Performance Centre in Dubai. It also has a partnership with Al Ahli, the reigning UAE champions.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
