For Eric Gerets, the latest international break could not have come at a worse time.
On Sunday night, Al Jazira's coach saw his side defeat Al Ain 4-3 in arguablyone of the best games of the Arabian Gulf League to date this season, but he has been left unable to build on that momentum for two weeks.
At the start of the season the Abu Dhabi club were a popular pick with pundits as a dark horse for the Arabian Gulf League title, and the signing of striker Mirko Vucinic from Juventus looked to be one of the shrewdest of the summer.
If there were doubts over either notion, they were blown away with a storm of attacking football at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Sunday.
Vucinic was simply irrepressible, scoring four goals – two headers, a penalty and a powerful left-foot strike – to take his season tally to 10 goals in just five games.
Just as encouraging for Gerets was his team’s resilience in coming from behind to take the points.
In their previous match at Al Dhafra, Al Jazira were seconds away from going to the top of the league, when, at 3-2 up, they inexplicably piled forward in search of a fourth goal.
Instead, an injury-time equaliser left Gerets fuming and his team in third place.
Against Al Ain, they completed the job.
With the league programme set to resume on October 17, Al Jazira have to split facing the season’s two early pace setters, Al Wahda and Al Shabab, who also clashed on Sunday, with the Abu Dhabi club coming out on top 2-1.
With respect to those two clubs, Gerets will be more pleased that his team has a three-point lead over Al Ahli and is five points clear of Al Ain, although Al Ain have two games in hand.
Whether they can maintain a title challenge could be answered in their next fixture – an away trip to champions Ahli.
In many ways, it will be the ideal time to face Cosmin Olaroiu’s men. The Dubai club have yet to win at Maktoum Stadium this season, losing 4-2 to Shabab before playing out a dismal 0-0 draw with Ajman two weeks ago.
Sunday’s tame 1-1 draw at Fujairah hardly points at any improvement in form.
Having beaten Al Ain so spectacularly, a win against Al Ahli will be a statement of intent for Gerets’s men.
In Vucinic, Al Jazira have found the perfect replacement for the prolific Brazilian Ricardo Oliveira.
The Montenegrin’s pedigree is unquestioned; he won three league titles at Juventus and two Italian Cup medals with Roma.
At 31, his impact could rival that of Grafite at Al Ahli and Asamoah Gyan at Al Ain in recent times.
With Jucilei da Silva of Brazil, Argentinian Manuel Lanzini and Burkina Faso striker Jonathan Pitroipa completing their foreign contingent, Al Jazira look well-equipped to return to the standard that saw them win their first league title in 2011/12, as well as two President’s Cups in 2011 and 2012.
The seeds of this season’s re-emergence came last season. A third-place finish means they likely will take part in the 2015 Asian Champions League.
The club can also call on a strong core of UAE internationals, such as Ali Kasheif, Khamis Esmail and Ali Mabkhout – all of whom will be part of Mahdi Ali’s squad for the international doubleheader against Australia and Uzbekistan.
For once, even they will be itching to finish their duties with their beloved national team and return to the business of winning the AGL title. So will, no doubt, the flying Vucinic.
akhaled@thenational.ae
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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T10 Cricket League
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December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5