Marco Verratti ‘very happy to extend my contract’ with Paris Saint-Germain

Marco Verratti has extended his contract with runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain until 2020.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been one of the star performers in France’s top flight since his arrival from Pescara in 2012.

Verratti, whose previous contract ran until 2019, has made 26 appearances for the club this season and says he is very settled at Parc des Princes.

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“I am very happy to extend my contract with Paris Saint-Germain,” Verratti told the club’s official website.

“I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have placed in me since I joined the club.

“I love the city of Paris and I love Paris Saint-Germain. I will continue to give my all, along with my teammates, to bring joy and success to our supporters and make our team the best in Europe.”

Paris are currently 24 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and face Chelsea in the last-16 of the Uefa Champions League with the first leg at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

Verratti is likely to play a key role against the English side and PSG chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi is delighted to tie the Italy international down to a new deal.

“Marco Verratti is one of the most talented players in Europe,” Al Khelaifi said. “We are delighted to see that each year this player displays his desire, both to the club and the fans, that he believes in Paris Saint-Germain’s project.

“I am very proud and I especially want to express how important it is to have him at our club. Marco is an idol of the Parc des Princes public. This strong relationship of confidence that exists between our club and Marco Verratti is set to last for many years to come.”

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Where to buy

Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com

if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.

RESULT

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now

Jigra

Director: Vasan Bala

Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh

Rated: 3.5/5