Some of the best players in football have played in the Mediterranean International Cup.
Lionel Messi, Marcelo, Cesc Fabregas, Neymar, Juan Mata, Lucas Leiva, Jordi Alba, Daley Blind, Oscar, Rafael, Anderson, Coutinho and Gerard Pique are just some of the top footballers who have played in the Easter tournament.
Players who are now in Spain, such as Sergio Busquets, Giovani dos Santos, Sergi Roberto and Marc Bartra — who scored for Barcelona on Wednesday — proliferate.
The future stars are often watched by current or former heroes. Former players Guti, Fran and Jamie Carragher were in attendance last week.
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Guti works at his old club Real Madrid, former Deportivo La Coruna player Fran is an agent specialising in emerging players and Liverpool legend Carragher, now a successful TV analyst in Britain, watched his son.
Past visitors include Ronaldinho, Pep Guardiola.
Pedro, Carles Puyol, Felipe Scolari, Andres Iniesta, Ronaldo and Dani Alves. Barca stars feature heavily, given the location just 100 kilometres north of the Catalan capital.
In 2005, the player of the tournament was Manchester United’s Febian Brandy.
“I scored against Barca, PSG and Valencia,” Brandy says. “When I came back to England, we had a call from Spain.
The man said to my mum: “Are you the mother of Brandy? It was someone from Barcelona. They wanted to know if I’d sign for them.
“My mum put my dad on the phone.
“My dad told me that it was up to me what I did. Even though I was young, I really fancied playing for Barcelona.”
United were not willing to sell him.
Brandy is now at Rochdale in England’s third tier.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
SPECS
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
