Barcelona // Cesc Fabregas was finally unveiled as a Barcelona player when football's longest running transfer saga was concluded yesterday.
In pictures: Premier League week 1
The best photos from the opening weekend of action in the Premier League.
Comment: Besides invention, Arsenal will miss Cesc Fabregas' courage. Read article
Villas-Boas might have to re-invent in order for Chelsea to fire. Read article
Sergio Aguero become Man City's instant hero. Read article
The former Arsenal captain, 24, kissed the Barça shirt in front of 25,000 fans inside Camp Nou after signing a five-year contract in a €29 million (Dh137.5m) deal.
The Catalans will pay a further €5m if they win two league titles and another Champions League trophy during the course of his contract, while Fabregas will also part with €1m of his own wages each year, which will be paid to Arsenal.
Spanish cities empty during the August holiday season, but a crowd comprised of tourists and locals braved the midday sun on a public holiday to see Fabregas say "hola". He had spent the morning undergoing two medicals before signing the contract.
Fabregas was then ushered to the Sala Paris - a room named after Barca's 2006 Champions League triumph against his former club Arsenal - to speak in more depth about the move, but not before the extended Fabregas family had been marshalled into position on the front two rows by the player's mother.
They watched a video montage of Fabregas starring for Barca's youth teams as he slalomed through rival defences on earth pitches as a 14 year old alongside Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi to Every Breath You Take by The Police.
Barca were angered when Manchester United and Arsenal snared two of their brightest Catalan talents, Fabregas and Pique, aged 16 in 2003. The moves allowed both to flourish before they returned to the club they grew up with and supported, Pique, the central defender, in 2008, and now Fabregas.
The midfielder, who hails from the coastal town of Arenys de Mar, 50 kilometres north of Barcelona, now faces a battle to get into this fine Barca side.
"Competition at Barca?" Fabregas replied to the obvious question posed by one of the hundreds of journalists present.
"Mentally, I feel ready for everything. I chose the most difficult path but that can bring the greatest joy.
"It is always a very hard challenge to come to Barcelona. I have spent many, many hours thinking about the return to Barcelona. This is the greatest team in the history of football."
Asked where he expected to play in Pep Guardiola's starting XI, Fabregas replied: "Position on the pitch? I don't I know, didn't talk with the coach.
"I can add a lot of motivation and hard work.
"I arrive very modestly. I can learn a lot from this coach and these players. I know I will have fun." Fabregas was keen to praise his former club Arsenal, where he rose to great prominence, yet ultimately did not win a single trophy in his final six of eight years at the north London club.
Eulogising Arsene Wenger, his former manager, Fabregas said: "Wenger is a special person, he's a second father for me. He gave me everything and I can never thank him enough.
"I got a bit emotional towards him when I said goodbye and had to send him a message later. Words cannot explain how I feel about him."
Fabregas told his Arsenal teammates on Friday that he was leaving. He expressed his frustration at the lack of trophies, despite his happiness at the Emirates Stadium.
"I spent eight years, a third of my life, at Arsenal," he said.
"It is one of my great regrets that I could not lift a trophy as Arsenal captain.
"It was hard to always come close but not win anything, but Arsenal is a great club with great fans.
"I will watch them as often as I can and I will always be an Arsenal fan."
Fabregas came close to silverware several times following Arsenal's 2005 FA Cup win.
"It's not that we didn't win titles," Fabregas said, "it was the routine of the same thing for many years, the finals we messed up and the semi finals - that was hard to take."
Many Arsenal fans had been unhappy about the manner of his transfer.
"I understand people may be disappointed I left," Fabregas said. "But life moves on. I'm back now and I won't let anyone down, I'll give my last drop of sweat."
Fabregas, who will wear the number 4 shirt with "Fabregas" on the back, rather than "Cesc" as he is known in Catalonia, could face an early baptism of fire.
Barcelona meet Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup tomorrow night, with the score delicately poised at 2-2 after Sunday's first leg.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us
@SprtNationalUAE
&
@AndyMitten
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Easter%20Sunday
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jay%20Chandrasekhar%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jo%20Koy%2C%20Tia%20Carrere%2C%20Brandon%20Wardell%2C%20Lydia%20Gaston%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXare%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%2018%2C%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPadmini%20Gupta%2C%20Milind%20Singh%2C%20Mandeep%20Singh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20Raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410%20million%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E28%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMS%26amp%3BAD%20Ventures%2C%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Astra%20Amco%2C%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%2C%20Fintech%20Fund%2C%20500%20Startups%2C%20Khwarizmi%20Ventures%2C%20and%20Phoenician%20Funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
RESULTS
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer)
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jordan Sport, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Jungle Cat, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Kimbear, Patrick Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner: Hawkbill, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
