Al Ain will be apprehensive about Omar Abdulrahman, their impish playmaker, strutting his stuff at the Olympics with the national team.
Firstly, the club's back-room staff are keen for their prized Emirati asset to be handled with kid gloves as he has already had two cruciate ligament injuries by the age of 20.
Secondly, should Abdulrahman produce the kind of mesmerising display he did against Australia last week he will have predatory scouts of English and European clubs furiously jotting down notes and banging down the team dressing room door to find out more about the Riyadh-born forward of Yemeni descent.
Espanyol apparently failed in a deal to sign him three years ago. Al Ain can expect a summer of fielding calls from bigger fish than the Spanish club if Abdulrahman plays to his potential in London.
A repeat of the brinkmanship between Al Wahda and Lyon over Hamdan Al Kamali can be expected.
Lyon's protracted pursuit of Al Kamali was surprising as, on at least two occasions this season, he has not even been the best defender in his club side - Mohammed Al Baloushi beating him to that accolade - let alone the hottest prospect in the country. That garland is the preserve of Abdulrahman.
His performance in the Olympic qualifier, in addition to his pint-size stature and his wand of a left foot, invited comparisons with David Silva, Manchester City's Spanish maestro.
Some at Al Ain believe Abdulrahman is good enough to join Silva in the Premier League and, on the evidence of last Wednesday, it is hard to disagree.
kaffleck@thenational.ae
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
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Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
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Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
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Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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