Lebanese youth footballer injured in Israeli strike determined to return to the pitch

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Updated 26 April 2025
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Lebanese youth footballer injured in Israeli strike determined to return to the pitch

  • ‘No pain, no gain … I want to return to football once I complete my physiotherapy and retain my fitness,’ Celine Haidar told Arab News
  • ‘I’ve made a big improvement. There’s nothing that could kill faithful people, and I will never give up because only losers do’

BEIRUT: Shining young Lebanese footballer Celine Haidar is refusing to let a critical head injury she sustained after an Israel airstrike keep her down, and is determined to recover and return to the pitch.
“No pain, no gain … I am very gratified with where I’ve reached in my rehabilitation. Actually I’m surprised … I want to return to football once I complete my physiotherapy and retain my fitness,” Haidar, a 20-year-old youth international, told Arab News on Saturday.
Speaking at Mgr Cortbawi Institute and Rehabilitation Hospital, where she has stayed since waking up from a two-month coma in January, Haidar said she does not recall what happened on the ill-fated day of Nov. 16.
Her father, Abbas Haidar, said his daughter was hit in the head by a piece of flying shrapnel while fleeing their home in Beirut’s southern suburb during Israeli airstrikes.
Haidar, who captains her club, Beirut Football Academy, said: “I don’t remember exactly what happened. All I’m confident of is that I am determined to return to football once I am done with my treatment here in the best rehab center in Lebanon.”
The footballer, who was 19 when she got injured, says her treatment has been a “long and hard journey,” but now “it’s getting better.
“I’ve made a big improvement. I thank Allah the almighty. There’s nothing that could kill faithful people, and I will never give up because only losers do,” Haidar said when asked if she would return to the sport.
Speaking about her teammates’ support, she added: “The team have been caring about my health, and constantly check on me. They all support me and have faith in me rejoining them.”
Haidar, dubbed by her coach Samer Barbary as “Lebanon’s Sergio Busquets,” is described as a skillful and gifted midfielder, inspired by international stars Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
“Coach Samer is the one who improved my skills and worked on getting me to where I am today,” said the Real Madrid fan, whose football icon is Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 20-year-old footballer also studies physical education at a private educational institute in Beirut.
“I am fascinated by the smartness of Kroos and Modric, and they both have made me love playing in midfield. Ronaldo is my forever idol … his football mentality is the best,” she said.
Meanwhile, Barbary told Arab News that the whole BFA team are “with her in her recovery and she is doing great, thank God.”
He admitted that the treatment is a long road, but that Haidar “is determined and fighting to get back on her feet.
“We are waiting for her and hopefully she can come back to us, but the focus is on her to come back to her full strength, and then we will think about football,” he added.
Haidar’s father told Arab News that his daughter has surprised the family with her strong determination in working on her recovery and treatment. “I cannot say anything more than we thank God,” said Abbas, who expressed his hopes to see Celine “livelier and healthier” than before.
Following her November injury, Haidar was admitted to Saint Georges Hospital, where she entered a coma. She could not speak and remained under extensive treatment for months, her father said.
According to video footage that Haidar shared on her recovery, she can now walk, though with a limp in her left leg. She can also climb stairs with some difficulty.
Haidar, a rising star in Lebanon’s football scene, represented her country as a member of the under-19 women’s side who won the 2022 West Asia Cup, hosted by Lebanon. She was also selected to play for the senior national team before her injury.
“Celine played a major role in us winning the 2024 league unbeaten,” Barbary said.
Before joining BFA in 2021, she played for Safa Club and with them won the Lebanese National League.


Motor racing-Mayer set to stand against Ben Sulayem for FIA presidency

Updated 6 sec ago
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Motor racing-Mayer set to stand against Ben Sulayem for FIA presidency

Mayer would announce on Friday he was standing against Ben Sulayem
A press conference was called at a venue outside the Silverstone circuit

SILVERSTONE, England: Mohammed Ben Sulayem will face a challenge to his bid for re-election as president of the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, after a rival candidate emerged on Thursday.

The BBC reported American Tim Mayer, a former Formula One steward and son of former McLaren principal Teddy Mayer, would announce on Friday he was standing against Ben Sulayem.

A press conference was called at a venue outside the Silverstone circuit ahead of British Grand Prix practice.

Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, is scheduled to attend the race which marks the midpoint in the Formula One season. He has already announced he is seeking a second term.

The FIA is the governing body for F1, the world rally championship and Formula E among other series.

Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death

Updated 03 July 2025
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Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death

  • “This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram
  • “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre”

MUNICH: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn Diogo Jota, who he signed in 2020, had died with his younger brother Andre in a car crash on Thursday.

Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames.

Klopp, who is Red Bull’s “head of global soccer,” persuaded the Liverpool board to pay £45 million ($62 million) for Diogo Jota after he impressed at Wolves.

“This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram.


“There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.

“Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!

“We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace — Love.”

Diogo Jota was labelled an “exceptional player, exceptional boy,” by Klopp early on in the player’s spell at Liverpool.

Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool’s investment, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four home games.

He was a key part of Klopp’s side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple.


Can Inzaghi and Al-Hilal go all the way?

Updated 03 July 2025
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Can Inzaghi and Al-Hilal go all the way?

  • Arab News looks at possible ways that Al-Hilal can upset the odds to reach and possibly win the FIFA Club World Cup final

RIYADH: Al-Hilal are the talk of the football world after their sensational 4-3 win over Manchester City in the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Ahead of their quarterfinal against Brazil’s Fluminense on Friday, Arab News asked three experts on Saudi Arabia football how Al-Hilal can continue to upset the odds and potentially reach and win the final.

  • Roel Coumans - Former Saudi Arabia national team assistant, head coach of Abha, Al-Hazm, Al-Adalah

“If Al-Hilal are in any European competition then they would be in the top four and there is no doubt that when Fluminense look at the Hilal team, they will not be underestimating them.

“In football everything is possible and Hilal can go all the way. I always tell my players to dream big, this is what football is all about.

“But it is important that Hilal don’t look forward too much, the next match is always the important one. There is a chance that after City the players may underestimate Fluminense and that is not possible at this level.

“They should involve the Brazilian players who can tell them about Fluminense.

“The game will be totally different to the City game. In that, they were the underdog and you have to defend much more than against Fluminense.

“When I look at Inzaghi’s tactics, he is always trying to play in a compact 4-5-1 formation and he will ensure that the system is not too different.

“There is a danger in that South America football is more physical and that may be something that the players are not used to.

“But now there is a good vibe around Al-Hilal. If Al-Dawsari can return that will be great as he adds creativity.”

  • Paul Williams - Founder and host of The Asian Game podcast, football journalist

“Al-Hilal’s path to the Club World Cup final has certainly opened up after their stunning upset win over Manchester City. It was a landmark moment, not just for the club but for Saudi football.

“While the challenge on paper might look easier against Fluminense, it’s likely to be anything but.

“One has to consider the context and circumstances of the victory against Manchester City, which was achieved without three of their starting XI, who will all be absent again against Fluminense.

“Not to mention the physical and emotional toll that the 120 minutes in Orlando would have taken. But having slayed the Premier League giant, they’ll attack that game with a renewed sense of vigor.

“Should they get through, then a likely semifinal against Chelsea awaits, although one can never discount Palmeiras. But having beaten one Premier League giant already this tournament, facing Chelsea would hold no fears for them.

“And then it would likely be Real Madrid or PSG in the final, and having already gone toe-to-toe with Real Madrid in the opening game, and even shading that game for large parts, that is another that would hold no fear for Al-Hilal.

“Of course, as fun as it is to speculate, it’s all still hypothetical and Al-Hilal cannot allow itself to think any further than Fluminense this week. Having dispensed of Inter Milan, they have shown they also should not be taken lightly.

“But after defeating the might of Manchester City, Al-Hilal will now believe anything is possible.”

  • John Duerden - Asia and Middle East football writer and analyst

“While it is premature to talk of the draw opening up for Al-Hilal, there is no doubt that the road to the final looks rockier on the other side.

“The biggest challenge may be coming back down to Earth after the win against Manchester City.

“Coach Inzaghi talked of how his team climbed Everest without oxygen against the European powerhouse, and while those words were perfect, the message has to now change.

“The summit is within sight but is still some distance away.

“Hilal are the talk of the football world, and that is a unique position for an Asian club to be in. Maybe now the pressure is off, the tournament will always be remembered as a success, whatever happens.

“Or maybe it will be hard, both physically (after 120 grueling minutes in the heat) and mentally, to recover from the last game.

“And, Fluminense will now be very wary, if they weren’t before. Inzaghi was happy to let City have most of the ball and City were happy to have it. Hilal were hugely impressive on the counter, but Fluminense are not likely to make the same mistakes that City did defensively.

“Korea’s Ulsan gave the Brazilian(s) many problems but couldn’t kill the game when they were ahead and eventually paid the price. Taking chances will be key.

“If Salem Al-Dawsari plays, then he could be the difference, though Hilal would love to have the physical presence of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

“A win means the last four and there is nobody to fear. If it is Chelsea in the semifinal then the London team are awkward opponents and able to pull off results when needed but they are a level below the elite of Europe.

“And that is Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern. Surely one of those will make the final.

“Hilal have impressed but would, rightly, be clear underdogs. Hilal are not expected to win but they have shown that they are capable of doing so.

“First though, that cliche has to be repeated all around the training ground over the next day or two ‘one game at a time.’”


Rashid Khan’s star continues to shine

Updated 03 July 2025
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Rashid Khan’s star continues to shine

  • The 26-year-old bowler’s meteoric rise to prominence has contributed to outstanding performances by the Afghan national men’s team

Rashid Khan is a cricketing superstar who will play for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred this summer. Before joining the team, he added brand ambassadorship to his cricketing prowess — on July 3 in Dubai, he was revealed as the face of leading real estate company, MH Developers.

This exemplifies the opportunities for sponsorship and brand endorsement now available to top cricketers and is a far cry from some 70 years ago when the best they could hope for was their signature on the face of a bat.  

Khan’s cricketing rise to prominence has been meteoric and has contributed to outstanding performances by the Afghan national men’s team, which included reaching the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final.

This is even more remarkable given that the team is effectively in exile. At least it gets to play, unlike the women’s team; most of those players fled the country in fear of their lives and many are now in Australia, desperate to play cricket. They have lobbied the International Cricket Council about their plight, but the ICC, along with much of the international cricketing community, has been tight-lipped about expressing support or making proposals to alleviate the situation.

Their male counterparts have been more fortunate. A contributory factor has been the UAE, with Khan quick to recognize that it “has been like a spiritual home for Afghan cricket for many years, providing a safe haven and platform amid the challenges back home.”

Hence, the collaboration with MH Developers holds tremendous significance for him personally and professionally, having experienced an itinerant lifestyle shuttling between the eastern border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

In the early 2000s, Khan’s family, which owned a tire business, left war-torn Afghanistan for Pakistan. Rashid was the sixth of 11 brothers and competed with them in tape-ball cricket — a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape — which is played on concrete strips in corridors. In order to achieve greater zip off the surface, he developed his characteristic fast-arm action and ability to flip the ball out of his fingers to spin and flight his leg breaks sharply.

This, coupled with his batting abilities, marked him out to experienced observers, including coaches at the Islamia College in Peshawar where he studied computer science until 2013. When the Afghan team toured Pakistan in 2014 he performed outstandingly in Peshawar. It was on Dec. 7, 2016, that he made his debut for Afghanistan against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi, taking 4 for 48 and 8 for 74, along with 25 not out and 52, a rich return for one so young. The path was set.

Currently, Khan captains Afghanistan’s T20 men’s team. He has also captained the Test and One Day International teams. In March 2018, aged 19 years and 165 days, he became the youngest player to captain an international side. Then in September 2019, aged 20 years and 350 days, he became the youngest person to captain a Test match team, leading Afghanistan against Bangladesh. He also played in Afghanistan's first Test match against India in June 2018.

Prior to that, in February 2018, he became the youngest player to top the ICC Player rankings for bowlers in ODIs. He immediately followed that by topping the ICC T20I bowler rankings, where he is currently number nine; he is also number five in the ODI bowler rankings and seventh in the ODI all-rounder rankings, having once been number one.

Along the way, he became the fastest and youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs, needing only 44 matches; the previous record was 52. In June 2018, he reached 50 wickets in T20Is in two years and 220 days, the fastest bowler to achieve this feat. This was followed in October 2021 when he became the fastest bowler in terms of matches, his 53rd, to claim 100 wickets in T20Is. Currently he has taken 161 T20I wickets, the second highest number, and is likely to regain top place.

It is therefore no surprise he has been in demand around the franchise circuit. His teams have included the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash League, MI New York in the USA’s Major League Cricket, Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League, the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Barbados Tridents, for whom he took the first hat-trick in the history of the Caribbean Premier League. Khan did play in the only edition so far of the Afghanistan Premier League, in 2018. This was for Kabul Zwanan, who were beaten by Balkh Legends in the final at Sharjah. Despite this, Rashid Khan was the player of the tournament.

It is easy to forget that Khan is still only 26, having made his full international debut on Oct. 18, 2015, in an ODI match against Zimbabwe in the UAE. His T20I international debut followed a week later. He has crammed a lot of professional cricket into the past 10 years.

Khan, who graciously gave a “big thank you to Trent Rockets for the three seasons I spent at Trent Bridge,” says he is “really excited to be joining Oval Invincibles and calling the Kia Oval my home this August. It’s great to be joining the back-to-back champions; hopefully, I can contribute to more success this season.”

The first match at the Oval will be on Aug. 9 against the Manchester Originals. Khan’s move is also an indication of the reality of global franchises — he has played in New York for the Mumbai Indians, who now own 49 percent of the Invincibles.

Khan’s cricket career has been on a consistently upwards path. His brand ambassadorship coincides with a time when Dubai’s real estate market is witnessing a significant upward trend. First-half 2025 figures show a 15 percent year-on-year increase in average property prices and a 20 percent surge in transaction volumes. MH Developers is looking to engage with a wider audience and strengthen their foothold in this thriving market. The global sporting reputation of Rashid Khan, the focus, commitment and talent identified by his first coaches, will be an integral part of this strategy.

Rashid Khan’s legacy in international cricket is already assured but there should be more chapters for him to write.

After The Hundred, there is the prospect of the six-team Asia Cup. Since the recent hostilities between India and Pakistan, the tournament has been in doubt. There is now renewed optimism for it taking place, though the location is uncertain.

It was originally due to be hosted by India. Under new arrangements, whenever it is India or Pakistan’s turn to host the tournament, a neutral venue will be chosen. Afghanistan is a non-starter, which leaves Bangladesh, Sri Lanka — where the monsoon season is due — and the UAE.

If the latter is chosen, there could be some instant returns on Rashid Khan’s brand ambassadorship.


Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain

Updated 03 July 2025
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Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain

  • Spanish police confirmed the death of Diogo Jota and his brother

MADRID: Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, 28, died in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother, the Portuguese Football Federation said on Thursday.

The regional fire department of Castile and Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website a car crashed early on Thursday, shortly after midnight, and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 26, found dead.

"We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day," the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.

Spanish police told Reuters they could not yet officially confirm the names of the deceased, but everything pointed to it being Jota and his brother. The Lamborghini they were travelling veered off the road, the spokesperson said.

The bodies have been taken to a forensics unit in nearby Zamora where autopsies will be performed, they said.

Jota, who got married on June 28, helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit.

Jota arrived at Anfield from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.