They are renowned for cherishing their elders in Italy and in something that could be depicted as an hour of need, the Azzurri will tonight step back in time to clench close to their bosom a Godfather of the modern game.
For a man brought out of cold storage after two years, the gregarious Marcello Lippi is projecting a warm front ahead of the friendly with Austria in Nice.
Lippi conceded yesterday that he is not so much back from the dead, as back from the dread. He cajoled his country into lifting the World Cup in 2006, before realising he had made a grave error by choosing to depart.
Apart from Lippi, only Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938, and Enzo Bearzot in 1982 have guided Italy to World Cup success. It is rarified company in which to revel, and has earned Lippi plaudits from his contemporaries that include the Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Comparable in looks to the actor Paul Newman, Lippi, 60, also has an air of Tony Bennett about him. Like the US-reared Italian crooner, his teams tend to sing heartily.
While Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, Lippi's will be very much in Milan. "It is time to win something again," he opined.Steely haired, stoney faced and exuding as much authority as a mafia don, there will always be a place deep within the soul of football for such a stimulating figure.
It was the failings of Roberto Donadoni this summer that enabled the second coming. Italy were walloped 3-0 by Holland in their opening game of Euro 2008. They were fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw against Romania, and a 2-0 win over a France side reduced to 10 men was hardly convincing.
They were sterile in losing to the winners Spain on penalties in Vienna in the quarter-final, leading the Italian FA to dispense with the contract of Donadoni.
Having escaped his mummified state to become a father of his nation once again, Lippi will hope to douse Italy with gold dust.
"I immediately regretted leaving the national side. So many times, I said to myself 'what an imbecile I have been'. This time round it is even more fantastic."
Elsewhere in tonight's friendlies, European champions Spain visit Denmark while Holland, under new coach Bert van Marwijk, face Russia in Moscow in a match that will invoke memories of the Dutch's 3-1 quarter-final defeat at Euro 2008. Raymond Domenech's France, who had an even worse Euro 2008 than Italy, face Sweden in Gothenburg tonight. They suffered defeats to Holland and Italy in a tournament that was eminently forgettable for them.
Meanwhile, life for Lippi starts to get a whole lot more memorable this evening.
@Email:dkane@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
