Roberto Mancini, the manager, believes Manchester City can look forward to their vital Champions League clash against Napoliwith confidence after sweeping Villarreal aside last night.
City lifted themselves above the Italians into second place in Group A with a convincing 3-0 win over injury-ravaged Villarreal at El Madrigal.
Their hopes of progress were already likely to hinge on their trip to Naples later this month but now they have a two-point advantage over the Italians, victory will make certain.
"I think this win is important because now we have a good chance," Mancini said. "We know that everything will be in Naples.
"I think it will be an incredible atmosphere. There will be 70,000 people at the stadium. "I think it is very difficult to play but it is important to go there with this result.
Mancini said that City's feat at Villarreal became easier once they scored the first goal, by Yaya Toure went in.
Toure added the third for City after a Mario Balotelli penalty put the visitors in the clear.
City needed to be patient as Villarreal looked to press them early on but once Toure had opened the scoring after 30 minutes, the result was rarely in doubt.
"Villarreal were missing four or five important players but it is always difficult to win away in the Champions League," Mancini said.
"We had 65 per cent of ball possession, we scored three goals. I think this was important for our confidence. I think we have improved, not just in the Champions League.
"It is important for us to go in the second stage, then everything can happen with us because we are a good team. We can improve a lot in the next month."
One possible worry was the sight of David Silva leaving the field clutching his back in the second half but Mancini was not concerned.
"I don't think this is serious," he said. "He took a knock on his back.
"Also we play again in 60 hours against QPR. I think he can recover well."
Mancini's only other moment of discomfort was when he leapt up and banged his head on the roof of the dugout. He returned after half-time holding an ice pack.
"I took a knock - the bench here is very dangerous!"
The result left Villarreal bottom of the group without a point and ended their mathematical chances of progressing.
The Yellow Submarine, who have endured a miserable start to their domestic season, were without a host of key players and were well beaten by the final whistle.
"It was a very difficult game," their under-pressure coach, Juan Carlos Garrido, said.
"I want to congratulate the winners tonight. We all know this is a very hard competition.
"But tonight, despite all our injuries, we never complained and I want to congratulate our players as well. They played very well despite the 3-0 score line.
"This is the spirit of the team and I want to emphasise this. If we can go on with this feeling when we have these players back we will have better results."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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