Miroslav Klose returned to Rome yesterday after another successful night with his national side, expecting to be greeted at Lazio training by his new nickname.
"Half-the-team" is what some colleagues began calling the German striker just before the international break.
The moniker is based on empirical data. Lazio share top place in Serie A because they have 21 points. Klose's direct interventions, goals or assists, have been worth 10 of those points.
His head coach, Edy Reja, has already called Klose "the strongest footballer I have ever worked with". And Reja, who turned 66 last month, has been around a bit: Lazio are the 21st side he has coached at. Klose will not mind being singled out. His chief mission this season is to secure a place in history.
On Tuesday night, he took another important step in that direction by scoring his 63rd international goal in Germany's 3-0 victory in a friendly over Holland.
He is now just five short of Gerd Muller's German record of 68 strikes. Fitness permitting, he could well achieve the target before the end of Euro 2012.
Fitness permitting. That is an issue. Lazio had been concerned when Klose carried a knee problem away with him after a storming run had set up their winning goal against Parma just before the international matches.
Germany agreed to rest him for last Friday's friendly against Ukraine, but let him sate his hunger for his spot in his country's annals against the Dutch. He came through fine.
Klose is making an early case as the best buy of the last transfer window. Hiring him had carried an element of risk. Despite his importance for his national team, his role for the last two campaigns at Bayern Munich had been chiefly that of impact substitute.
He is 33, not an age that is necessarily a barrier to success in Italian football, but a late stage to learn a new culture, particularly one where central strikers tend to be more tightly marked, where the sorts of high crosses that Klose likes to exploit is less frequent.
But Klose has more to his game that just that. His movement is intelligent, his unselfishness sometimes underestimated. His status in Rome these days is not.
sports@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
