City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy announce talent development program

City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy announce talent development program
City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy have partnered to help develop young talent in the UAE. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 June 2025
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City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy announce talent development program

City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy announce talent development program
  • The groundbreaking partnership will help provide a path to professional football for young players in the UAE

ABU DHABI: City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy have announced a landmark collaboration that will see talented players in the UAE helped on a professional pathway from the age of 6 years old.

From the start of next season, City Football Schools will deliver coaching for the Al-Jazira Club Academy’s foundation phase for 6- to 9-year-olds.

With more than a decade of coaching in the UAE, built on the philosophy and training program of the Manchester City Academy, City Football Schools will supply the coaches, all of whom hold a minimum UEFA B qualification and have undergone Manchester City’s in-house coach education.

They will coach and develop Al-Jazira’s young players, introducing them to a structured methodology designed to create elite players, one that is used globally across all City Football Group clubs. This will be combined with the principles of a safe, creative and positive space, with player happiness and welfare at the forefront of the learning environment.

The move will allow players who have demonstrated talent and aptitude for the game to flourish in a professional club and work through different age groups, with the ultimate aim of signing a professional first-team contract in the future.

For those behind this partnership, this not only offers the opportunity to help produce the stars of tomorrow for Al-Jazira Club, but it will also contribute to the wider development of football in the UAE.

Simon Hewitt, City Football Group’s head of football operations in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “This is a revolutionary partnership that will provide young players an incredible footballing opportunity for years to come. Early sports and football fundamentals are so important for a player’s development. We will look for the best 6- to 9-year-olds in Abu Dhabi and give them an incredible start to their football journey. Everything from coaching to facilities and wider pastoral care will be best in class with the goal of harnessing their skills and supporting them to reach the next level.”

The new partnership will complement the market-leading City Football Schools program that coaches over 2,500 players, both male and female, who train with City coaches on a weekly basis across eight venues in the UAE. 

“The pathway being created between City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club hasn’t been seen before in the UAE and will benefit players, the club, and the wider football ecosystem in the country,” added Hewitt.

Scott Sellars, sporting director of Al-Jazira Club, said: “We are delighted to partner with City Football Schools on such an exciting and visionary initiative. As the Pride of Abu Dhabi, we want to be able to offer young players the opportunity to excel and go as far as possible in the world of football. We are excited that some of the players who join us next season might be those running out with not only our first team, but also the UAE national team in the future.”

Open trials for young players born in 2017, 2018, or 2019 will take place on Saturday, June 21, at Active Al-Maryah Dome, Al-Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi.


India and Bangladesh postpone cricket tour to 2026

India and Bangladesh postpone cricket tour to 2026
Updated 32 sec ago
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India and Bangladesh postpone cricket tour to 2026

India and Bangladesh postpone cricket tour to 2026
  • The series, including three one-day and three T20 matches, had been due to start on August 17 in Dhaka
  • India, Bangladesh ties have turned frosty since a mass uprising last year toppled then PM Sheikh Hasina

NEW DELHI: India’s six-match white-ball cricket tour of Bangladesh next month has been postponed to 2026, both cricket boards said Saturday.

The series, including three one-day and three T20 matches, had been due to start on August 17 in Dhaka.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh have turned frosty since a mass uprising last year in Dhaka toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have “mutually agreed to defer” the series, the statement read.

It said the decision was made “taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” without giving further details.

It added that Bangladesh’s BCB “looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026,” with exact fixtures to be released later.

There is deep anger in Dhaka at the fate of Hasina, who escaped a student-led uprising by helicopter in August 2024 and flew to New Delhi.

Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August last year, according to the United Nations, when Hasina’s government ordered a crackdown on protesters in a failed bid to cling to power.

Elections are expected in early 2026.


Al Hilal showed Saudi league not just about money, says Koulibaly

Al Hilal showed Saudi league not just about money, says Koulibaly
Updated 17 min 2 sec ago
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Al Hilal showed Saudi league not just about money, says Koulibaly

Al Hilal showed Saudi league not just about money, says Koulibaly
“Everyone thinks that when we went there we only went for the financial argument but we showed that we are working over there,” Koulibaly said
“We want to improve the league, we have improved a lot in two years“

ORLANDO: Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal bowed out of the Club World Cup on Friday, after a 2-1 defeat to Fluminense, but after an unexpected run to the last eight they have left their mark on the global stage.

Simone Inzaghi’s team beat Manchester City 4-3 in the round-of-16, delivering the biggest upset of the tournament and one of the competition’s most thrilling games.

Al Hilal began their campaign with a draw against Spanish giants Real Madrid and they came through the group stage unbeaten with a draw against Champions League regulars Salzburg and a 2-0 win over six-times CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca of Mexico.

With a squad that mixes local Saudi talent with international recruits, the newly appointed Inzaghi was able to take the team to the brink of the last four.

For former Napoli defender and Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly, one of the expensively recruited foreign players, the performances at the first 32-team Club World Cup, were a message that the Saudi league is not just a lucrative retirement home for European and South American players.

“We showed that the teams from Saudi are very strong, very powerful and we have a lot of good players. Everyone thinks that when we went there we only went for the financial argument but we showed that we are working over there,” he told reporters.

“We showed it at this World Cup and every team who played against us can see that we have talent. We want to improve the league, we have improved a lot in two years,” he added.

Koulibaly was one of the early recruits to the Saudi Pro League, after leaving Premier League team Chelsea to join the Riyadh club and he said he has witnessed rapid growth in the league.

“I was there at the beginning and I see today it is very tough. We saw it last year and next year it will be tougher as more players are coming. The Saudi league is taking a nice place in the football world and we are happy because we are part of a very nice project and want to show all the world that the football is improving,” he said.

Inzaghi, who left Inter Milan and took charge of the team shortly before the tournament began, says he has been impressed with what he has seen from his players so far.

“Clearly, for me and my staff, it was very important to be able to play in this World Cup. We realized what kind of team we have, the quality of our players, the pleasure with which they work every day. Now we are looking forward to a great season,” he said.

Leclerc tops final red-flagged practice at Silverstone

Leclerc tops final red-flagged practice at Silverstone
Updated 05 July 2025
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Leclerc tops final red-flagged practice at Silverstone

Leclerc tops final red-flagged practice at Silverstone
  • The Monegasque driver was quickest in one minute and 25.498 seconds to outpace Piastri
  • Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren

SILVERSTONE, UK: Charles Leclerc confirmed Ferrari’s competitive renaissance by clocking the fastest lap ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren in Saturday’s third and final practice at the British Grand Prix.

In an incident-filled and closely-contested session, punctuated by red flag interventions, the Monegasque driver was quickest in one minute and 25.498 seconds to outpace Piastri by 0.068 seconds.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren, a revived Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull and British rookie Ollie Bearman of Haas.

Leclerc was the third different driver to top the times in the three practice sessions following Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Norris on Friday.

Alex Albon was seventh for Williams ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and the RB rookies Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson.

Seven-time champion Hamilton, who had been among the front-runners for Ferrari, was on a fast flying lap in the closing minutes when he was forced to abort his lap because of the first of two late red flags.

Both incidents were caused by incidents that required the track to be cleared. In the second Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto crashed, but was unhurt.

The start of the session was delayed by 10 minutes to clear some minor debris before the two Alpines and both Aston Martins initiated the fray.

On a grey and cool day, with rain threatening the drivers jostled for top spot as Leclerc reported rain at Copse corner.

The track was clearly ramping up and delivering faster lap times as Leclerc demonstrated again by outpacing Piastri by half a tenth before a late red flag, to clear a broken winglet from the circuit at Stowe, paused the action.

Hamilton had been on a flying lap at the time and was given no chance to run again as the final four minutes began, after a restart, before another red flag ended the action.

This time it came when Sauber’s Bortoleto lost control at Becketts where he snapped on entry and broke his car’s suspension and front wing.

In a separate incident Ollie Bearman lost his Haas and hit the barriers as he headed back to the pits.

In a tight session, the top three were separated by less than one-tenth of a second and the top 14 by less than one-tenth.


Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell

Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell
Updated 05 July 2025
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Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell

Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell
  • Football stars joined family and friends at the funeral in his hometown of Gondomar
  • Liverpool Virgil van Dijk bore a garlanded wreath of red flowers in the form of a Liverpool shirt bearing Jota’s number 20

GONDOMAR, Portugal: Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his brother were laid to rest on Saturday in their hometown, just days after the pair died in a car crash that shocked the football world.

Jota, 28, and Andre Silva, 25, were killed on Thursday after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northwestern Spain and became engulfed in flames, a week after the Portugal forward had got married.

Just hours before the accident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22 wedding to partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three children.

Football stars joined family and friends at the funeral in his hometown of Gondomar, near Porto and conducted by the bishop of Porto.

A number of teammates from the national side, including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Danilo Pereira and Joao Felix, as well as coach Roberto Martinez attended, though national skipper Cristiano Ronaldo was not present.

Liverpool Virgil van Dijk bore a garlanded wreath of red flowers in the form of a Liverpool shirt bearing Jota’s number 20.

Friday evening had seen Van Dijk, several players including Liverpool’s Uruguay international Darwin Nunez and Liverpool coach Arne Slot meet with Jota’s family and attend a wake for the deceased brothers.

Among those who came to offer their condolences were a childhood friend, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes and Porto club president Andre Villas-Boas.

Jota formerly played with Porto.

“Football is truly in mourning. Diogo was an icon of the talent Portuguese football represents,” said football federation chief Pedro Proenca.

Close family and friends including the parents paid their respects at Friday’s wake first, with the grandfather aided by two others to help him enter the chapel.

Friday night, British rock band Oasis played their song “Live Forever” in tribute to Jota at a concert in Cardiff marking a return to touring after 16 years.

Mourners arrived carrying wreaths of flowers, some sobbing audibly, before the wake was opened to members of the public.

The death of the Portugal international and his brother has triggered an outpouring of emotion in football, and beyond.

Liverpool opened a book of condolences and lowered flags to half-mast, with dozens of supporters laying a sea of flowers, balloons, Jota shirts, and scarves with the message “Rest in peace Diogo Jota,” outside Anfield.

At the Diogo Jota football academy, close to Gondomar SC where the ex-Porto and Atletico Madrid player took his first steps in the game, well-wishers created a memorial with flowers, scarves, candles and shirts.

“Thank you, Diogo Jota,” read a child’s handwritten message.

Pedro Neves, who was friends with Jota at school in Gondomar, said he “will remember him as someone who was very friendly, very courteous, who loved everyone, who always had a smile on his face.”

“He left us too young, it’s not fair. But that’s how life is sometimes,” Neves, 31, told AFP.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the Reds in 2020, has said he was “heartbroken” while the club spoke of an “unimaginable loss.”

Slot, who succeeded Klopp last year at Anfield, said everyone associated with the club owed it to Jota to “stand together and be there for one another.”

Jota was remembered at the Club World Cup in the United States on Friday, with a one-minute silence held at the quarter-final between Brazil’s Fluminense and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in Orlando.

A minute’s silence was similarly held at women’s Euro 25 matches.

Portuguese and UK media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England where Liverpool were due to start training on Friday, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.

Liverpool’s Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah said the death of his teammate had left him “frightened” to return to the club as the Premier League champions postponed the return of some players for pre-season training.


Al-Dafrawy lights up Riyadh with stunning first-round submission at PFL MENA 2

Al-Dafrawy lights up Riyadh with stunning first-round submission at PFL MENA 2
Updated 05 July 2025
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Al-Dafrawy lights up Riyadh with stunning first-round submission at PFL MENA 2

Al-Dafrawy lights up Riyadh with stunning first-round submission at PFL MENA 2
  • Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Al-Saif once again thrilled local fans with a second-round TKO over Nour Al-Fliti in their atomweight amateur bout

RIYADH: The 2024 PFL MENA welterweight champion, Omar Al-Dafrawy, delivered another show-stopping performance in front of a roaring Saudi crowd on Thursday night when he secured a spectacular first-round submission win over Italy’s Daniele Miceli.

Miceli wasted no time shooting for an early takedown, but Al-Dafrawy turned the tables with a textbook triangle choke. Miceli tried to power out, but the Egyptian champion tightened the hold and forced the tap just 1:15 into the fight.

Speaking exclusively to Arab News after his victory in the PFL MENA Riyadh main event, held at The Green Halls, Al-Dafrawy declared: “The plan is to fight the PFL Europe champion of 2024, so if he’s ready to come down here and grace the land, I’ll show.”

 

 

This was the third triangle choke on Al-Dafrawy’s record. He said: “I think I am probably the biggest superstar in the Arab World right now, whether you like it or not. No one has the skill set that I have. No one is as eager as I am. I took six fighters on short notice in the last PFL MENA in Jeddah, six fighters, all of them over 15 wins.”

Describing himself as “dangerous,” he added: “I’m getting the respect that I deserve where I go, so there’s no reason that I don’t rise to the occasion.”

Al-Dafrawy said he challenged any fighter, Arabian or international, in his bid to become “the best in the world.”

In the co-main event, 2024 PFL Welterweight runner-up Mohammad Alaqraa piled on relentless pressure to earn a dominant unanimous decision victory over Omar Hussein. Judges scored the contest 30-27 across the board to advance Alaqraa advances to the welterweight tournament semifinals.

Elsewhere on the card, Saudi Arabia’s own Hattan Al-Saif (4-0 amateur) once again thrilled local fans with a second-round TKO over Nour Al-Fliti in their atomweight amateur bout. Al-Saif overwhelmed Al-Fliti with knees and kicks before the session was waved off due to injury in round two.

Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Al-Saif scored a second-round TKO over Nour Al-Fliti in their atomweight amateur bout. (Supplied)

In an action-packed bout, Mohamed Zarey dug deep to defeat Ayman Galal by unanimous decision and punch his ticket to the welterweight semifinals. Zarey survived an early barrage to claim the biggest win of his PFL career and will now face Alaqraa.

On the bantamweight side, Xavier Alaoui leaned on his wrestling to shut down Ziad Ayman with a 30-27 sweep on the scorecards, moving into the next round. Mokhtar Benkaci needed just 57 seconds to dispatch Marcel Adur with a left hook to the body for a first-round TKO.

Badreddine Diani outpointed Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish in a closely contested three-round battle, earning a unanimous nod and advancing to face Amir Fazli, who himself scored a knockout over Rostem Akman in round two of their quarterfinal.

In another bantamweight thriller, Nawras Abzakh displayed power and precision, stopping Ali Yazbeck with ground and pound in the second round to move one step closer to a PFL belt. Islam Youssef, stepping in at short notice, delivered a spectacular flying knee knockout to Benyamin Ghahreman with five seconds left in round two.

Kicking off the night, Abdelrahman Alhyasat remained undefeated by submitting Anthony Zeidan with a rear naked choke in round two of their lightweight bout.

The PFL MENA semifinals are now set, promising even more fireworks as regional champions pursue title glory.