MADRID // Newly-crowned Uefa Champions League winners Barcelona have signed right-back/winger Aleix Vidal from Sevilla, the Catalan club announced on Sunday.
The treble winning club are banned from transfers until January 2016 which means Vidal cannot play for his new club for at least six months.
Barcelona defeated Juventus 3-1 on Saturday to add to their Primera Liga and Spanish Cup triumphs.
“FC Barcelona and Sevilla have reached an agreement over the transfer of Alex Vidal. The 25-year-old will sign for five seasons, until June 30, 2020,” read a Barca statement.
The transfer fee is reportedly between 10 and 20 million euros.
Vidal will be introduced as Barcelona’s newest signing following a medical on Monday ahead of a presentation at the Camp Nou close to midday local time.
Vidal is seen as a natural successor to Brazilian Dani Alves, who could leave the club, after helping Sevilla to the Europa League in May.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has indicated he would be open to a move to Manchester United if David de Gea leaves for Real Madrid. Lloris is reportedly on a United shortlist of possible replacements for De Gea, who is said to be considering his future with only one year left on his Old Trafford contract and Madrid keen on taking him back to Spain. In comments carried in The Sun newspaper, Lloris said: "For the moment there is a goalkeeper at United and we are watchful of his situation. You have to keep a certain calm with all this. If things should happen then they'll happen naturally." Lloris, 28, joined Spurs from Lyon in 2012 and has made 99 Premier League appearances. He is under contract at White Hart Lane until 2019.
Real Madrid
Javier Hernandez is looking for consistent playing time next season, whether it is at Manchester United or any other club. The Mexico international spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Real Madrid but made just 11 starts in all competitions for the Spanish giants. Real turned down the option to make his stay permanent this month and the 27-year-old forward will be heading back to Old Trafford, where he has one year left on his contract. Hernandez told Spanish sports newspaper Marca: "I want to join a team where I can play and have minutes. If it's at Manchester United or another team, I will be equally happy. My priority is to play."
Aston Villa
Aston Villa have offered a new contract to defender Ron Vlaar but released striker Darren Bent, the club have confirmed. Vlaar’s current deal expires at the end of the month and manager Tim Sherwood has previously underlined his desire to keep him at Villa Park. Vlaar admitted after Villa’s FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool in April that Sherwood’s appointment as manager had changed things for him at the club and he was considering staying. The Midlands clubs have also confirmed the exit of £24 million (Dh134.4m) record signing Bent. Bent will be released after scoring 25 goals in 72 appearances following a club record transfer from Sunderland in 2011.
Juventus
Andrea Pirlo has brushed aside speculation that he will leave Juventus this summer despite reports linking him with Major League Soccer. The Italy international cried after his team’s Uefa Champions League final defeat to Barcelona on Saturday. “Were my tears a goodbye to Juventus? No, they were for the defeat,” Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia. “It is the kind of opportunity that I will rarely get again.” The 36-year-old midfielder made 33 appearances for Juventus in all competitions this season, one in which they won the domestic league-and-cup double for the first time since 1995. Pirlo, who won the Champions League title with AC Milan, joined Juve in 2011 and has won four straight league titles with the Turin giants. The veteran midfielder is under contract with Juve for another season.
Cerezo Osaka
Uruguay's most-capped player Diego Forlan is unlikely to be offered a new contract by Japanese club Cerezo Osaka, local media reported yesterday. The 36-year-old striker, who played 112 games for Uruguay and scored 36 goals before announcing his international retirement earlier this year, has expressed a desire to remain in Japan. "If possible I wanted to sign off by getting Cerezo promoted to the J-League first division, but a contract's a contract," Forlan told Japan's Nikkan Sports. "I've done everything I could. I don't know what the future holds but I'd prefer to stay in Japan."
However, after an illustrious career at Manchester United, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, Forlan, who is also a columnist for West Ham United
West Ham hope to make an announcement on their new manager “within the next 48 hours”. They appear close to appointing a successor to Sam Allardyce, who left Upton Park at the end of the season. Slaven Bilic is reported to have been interviewed about the vacancy over the weekend, with the likes of Rafael Benitez, Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti and Unai Emery all said to have been under consideration.
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Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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