NYON, Switzerland // Arsenal face Turkish side Besiktas and reprieved Celtic meet Slovenian title-holders Maribor in the Uefa Champions League play-offs later this month.
There was drama minutes before Friday’s draw in Nyon when Polish club Legia Warsaw, who had dished out a 6-1 third qualifying mauling to Celtic, were ruled out.
Legia were demoted to the Europa League play-offs for fielding an ineligible player.
Arsenal, meanwhile, must over overcome Besiktas to seal their 17th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stages.
Last season the Gunners saw off another Turkish club, Fenerbahce, to go on to make it into the Last 16 where Arsene Wenger’s side, finalists in 2006, came a cropper against Bayern Munich.
In other match-ups, Lille take on 2004 winners FC Porto, Napoli come up against Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen play FC Copenhagen.
The first leg ties are scheduled for August 19/20, with the second leg matches on August 26/27.
The ten winners will join the 22 teams automatically qualified for the group stage, which gets underway in September.
Draw for the European Champions League play-offs, staged in Nyon on Friday:
Champions Route
Maribor (SVN) v Celtic (SCO)
Salzburg (AUT) v Malmo (SWE)
Aalborg (DEN) v APOEL (CYP)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v Ludogorets (BUL)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v BATE (BLR)
League Route
Besiktas (TUR) v Arsenal (ENG)
Standard Liege (BEL) v Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) v Bayer Leverkusen(GER)
Lille (FRA) v FC Porto(POR)
Napoli (ITA) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)
Play-offs
1st leg - August 19/20
2nd leg - August 26/27
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Traces%20of%20Enayat
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20Mersal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20And%20Other%20Stories%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
