BARCELONA // Spain, the reigning European champions blessed with an abundance of world-class talent, go into the World Cup finals as favourites.
After decades of under achievement, La Roja finally have the confidence to beat the best. They won all 10 of their qualifying games, with David Villa the leading goalscorer, scoring seven times. Xavi and Andres Iniesta, the midfield schemers, are arguably the best in the world, while the front pairing of Fernando Torres and Villa are feared by every defence in the world.
"Torres and I get on well on and off the pitch," says Villa, "we have a very good partnership."
Villa finished as the tournament's top scorer when Spain won Euro 2008 with victory over Germany and, buoyed by his recent move to Barcelona, he is fancied to top the scoring charts in South Africa.
"Individuals awards are fine," he said, "but football is a team game. Without my teammates, I am nothing. Winning in Vienna [Euro 2008] was the highlight of my career. We want more of the same and we think we are good enough. I like the way the Spain team plays, it's like Barcelona and Valencia, attacking football from the start."
Villa is already Spain's second highest scorer ever with 36 goals from 55 matches, eight short of the record held by Raul - the man he pushed out of the national team. Villa has also scored 20 or more goals a season in club football in eight of the last nine seasons, showing the consistency which led Barca to pay his former club Valencia ?40 million (Dh184m) for his signature last month.
"I've always liked Barca's style," said Villa long before he signed and was unveiled in front of 30,000 fans at Camp Nou. "It's a joy to play with their little guys [Iniesta and Xavi] in the national team and they play the best football around. They give me the freedom to move and seek goals."
He will line up with the pair, as well as Lionel Messi, next season at the Primera Liga champions, a prospect which leaves Catalans salivating and Madrilenos (Real Madrid supporters) biting what is left of their nails.
Villa was born in a mining town in Asturias in Spain's green north in 1981. Fiercely proud of his background, he still wears the flag of the region on his boots alongside the national flag and the names of his two daughters, Zaida and Olalla. Villa played in junior teams at local third division side Union Popular de Langreo, where he picked up his nickname El Guaje - 'the kid' in the local dialect.
He was fortunate to get to that level. Aged four, Villa broke his right leg and doctors wanted to operate, but they warned his father Jose Manuel, "Mel", and mother Dorita that there might be long-term consequences. The operation never happened and his leg healed naturally - not that having one leg in plaster prevented him from playing football.
"My dad would throw the ball to me over and over again, making me kick the ball with my left foot," recalls Villa.
Villa cites his father as the most important influence in his career, saying: "He was at every training session and I was never alone."
He considered quitting football when he was 14 after a row with a coach, but he persevered through the ups and downs.
Real Oviedo, his local Primera Liga side, rejected Villa on the grounds of him being too small, but second division rivals Sporting Gijon incorporated him into their B team when he was 17. By playing for Sporting, he was following in the footsteps of Quini, his childhood hero and the winner of seven Pichichi top goalcorers' awards, five of them in the Primera Liga.
Villa scored 13 goals in his debut season and was awarded a first-team debut aged 19 in 2002/03, quickly becoming a fan favourite among Sporting's passionate followers. He proved a prolific striker, netting 18 goals in his first season in Spain's second division and 20 in his second. Such form led to Real Zaragoza paying ?3m for his signature in 2003. The step up to Spain's top level did not phase Villa; he racked up 39 goals in two seasons for a struggling side.
A move to Valencia came next in 2005 after Los Che paid Zaragoza ?12m. Villa kept scoring, 25 goals in his first season at the Mestalla, finishing second to Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o in the scorers' chart.
International recognition followed in 2005, and he scored three goals in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, including two against Ukraine on his World Cup debut, though he was still playing second fiddle to Raul and coming off the bench more than he started.
By 2008, Villa was a first-choice pairing with Torres as Spain triumphed in Vienna. That year, he broke a national team record by bagging 12 goals in a calendar year and scored in six successive games - another Spain record.
Villa is not allowing Spain's status as favourites to make him complacent.
"It would be a serious mistake if we thought like that," he says. "We need to believe that every team which has been good enough to reach South Africa could cause us problems. Think that any game is easy and things start to become complicated. We have to continue as we have been. If we do that then I think we can reach the final.
"Our philosophy is that we must try and have the ball all of the time. This is the first commandment for Spain. The second is to move the ball quickly, to get ahead of your marker, to try and make the other team tire because of all the running behind the ball, not just with the ball."
He sees Chile as the danger team in Spain's group which also includes Switzerland and Honduras: "They are the one team which we have played against and I think they are very compact, very competitive. We want to win the competition. We hope that Vienna was not our last triumph. The players' faces light up when we talk about South Africa, that's how much we are looking forward to going.
"Our results in the past three years have made us favourites, but we try not to pay too much attention to what people think of us. We take it as a compliment that people consider us favourites, but that's it, because at the end of the day it's all football isn't it? Every team uses its own weapons."
Villa cites Spain's "defined style" as their strength.
"It comes as a consequence, mainly, of the players in midfield," he explains. "Xavi and Iniesta are among the best five players in the world.
"We have a great generation of footballers with fantastic touch and I can see why teams want to beat us. I'd also say this: our experience makes us better than we were two years ago. And we enjoyed Vienna so we want to keep on winning for years to come."
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
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Stage 2
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix 4:18:30
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:06
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:06
4. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:06
5. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:08
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
The%20specs
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Company%20profile
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The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
