Champions League qualifying round may not be easy for Man City



Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Tuesday night to seal at least fourth spot in the English Premier League and a place in next season's European Champions League.

If the top four stays as it is then Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal will qualify directly for the lucrative group stages, while City will have to get past a qualifying round to reach that point.

The qualifying round used to be easy for big teams as they were paired against minnows from far-flung places in Europe. Reaching the group stages were a formality.

Changes made by Michel Platini, the Uefa president, last season have made it harder for English clubs finishing fourth as they will be paired against other teams finishing third and fourth around Europe - meaning potential ties against clubs such as Valencia and Bayern Munich.

But even if they have to get through a qualifying round, simply playing in the Champions League is a major boost to City and will hand them an even bigger advantage when trying to attract new players in the summer.

It is also a good thing for neutrals. English fans have had to endure a "Big Four" monopoly with United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool qualifying in several consecutive seasons.

City are the 10th English club to reach the Champions League since it was formed in 1992/93.

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THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

The five pillars of Islam
Stamp duty timeline

December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%

April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.

July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.

March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.

April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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