DUBAI // Fabio Cannavaro, who captained Italy in last month's World Cup in South Africa, had his first training session with Al Ahli, his new team, yesterday, as the Pro League club resumed pre-season training after a four-week camp in Austria.
The defender, a former World Player of the Year, is the jewel in the crown of Ahli's ambitious plans for the new league season, which starts on August 26.
"Fabio's been in this week working on his fitness with John [Phillips] and he had his first training session with the lads today," Tony Coton, Ahli's new goalkeeping coach, said yesterday.
But even the Italian, who captained his country to World Cup success four years ago, will have to fight for his first-team jersey, according to Coton.
"Everything is up for grabs, there are no guarantees," Coton said. "That's the philosophy we're bringing to the club. Everyone knows they will have to fight for their place and then fight to keep it. If you're not in the side, you have to fight to get in."
Coton, the former Manchester United goalkeeping coach, confessed that Ahli's goalkeepers were better than he had envisaged.
"I've been pleasantly surprised with the lads' technical ability and, to be honest, I was expecting it to be at an inferior level than it is," Coton said. "Their attitude and strength of character is also better than I thought it would be. I've had to break training drills down on the technical side because my first priority has been assessing the physical conditioning."
Yousef Abdullah, Ahli's No 1 keeper, became an early casualty in those examinations during the tour to Austria and is likely to be out for two months.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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LAST 16
SEEDS
Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Valencia, Juventus
PLUS
Real Madrid, Tottenham, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon, Chelsea
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on animal trafficking
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000