Luka Modric started playing football during Croatia's independence war and the country's notoriously fervent fans expect the world-class playmaker to launch their offensive at Euro 2016.
Croatia are looking to the 30-year-old to lift them as he has Real Madrid amid a rollercoaster season in La Liga and the Champions League.
With his supreme skills, Modric is known as the ‘Croatian Cruyff’ in reference to recently-deceased Dutch legend Johan.
“What he brings to the game is crucial,” says his Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos. “He’s never given all the credit, but he’s the backbone of our team.”
Modric helped steer Madrid to a record 10th Champions League title two seasons ago and was there as they won it again in Milan last month.
He will be even more important for Croatia at the European Championship finals as they look to better their previous best results of reaching the quarter-finals in 1996 and 2008.
Certainly, Turkey, the Czech Republic and defending champions Spain – Croatia's Group D opponents – will be wary of the threat from a Croatian midfield that also boasts Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic, Inter Milan pair Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid.
More Euro 2016
• Complete group guides and previews
• Euro 2016 Shapers series
• Group D preview: Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain and Turkey
But Modric is the man to watch.
At only 22 years old he became just the second Croatian to be included in the Uefa Team of the Tournament after his Euros debut eight years ago.
After the 2014 World Cup, Modric became the first Croatian selected in a Fifa World XI.
Born close to Zadar in the former Yugoslavia, Modric was six years old when war broke out in the Balkans, forcing his family to flee their home and his father Stipe, an aviation mechanic, to join the Croatian Army.
Modric’s family became refugees, living in a hotel in Zadar. But he went to school and eventually a sporting academy. The family’s financial difficulties meant his father fashioned shin guards from wood.
Rejected by Croatian giants Hajduk Split as a teenager because of his slight physique, Modric signed for arch rivals Dinamo Zagreb at age 16.
After a loan spell with Zrinjski Mostar in the notoriously tough Bosnian league, 18-year-old Modric was voted the league’s Player of the Year.
Modric returned to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005 via another loan spell at Croatian side Inter Zapresic, signing a 10-year contract and going on to play with current Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic.
After a four-year spell, over 30 goals and, notably, 29 assists, he brushed off reported interest from Barcelona to sign a four-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.
Despite a knee injury hampering his first season, Modric was like a diamond in the rough, said former teammate Tom Huddlestone: “His versatility was probably a blessing and a curse, he was that good that he had to play out of position for a bit.”
When Harry Redknapp succeeded Juande Ramos as coach, Modric moved back into his more natural habitat deeper in midfield. He flourished, forging a reputation as a formidable and accurate passer, and became a Premier League star.
Redknapp once described Modric as "a hell of a player and a manager's dream". After rejecting overtures from Chelsea, Modric took "a step forward to a higher level" when he moved to Madrid on a five-year deal worth a reported €30 million euros (Dh125m) in 2012.
After a tentative first season under Jose Mourinho, Modric came into his own under Carlo Ancelotti when the Italian took over in 2013.
He was decisive in Real's 10th Champions League triumph in 2014, providing the assist for Ramos' 93rd-minute leveller that preceded their eventual 4-1 extra-time triumph over city rivals Atletico Madrid.
He then played the whole game as Madrid again beat Atletico, this time on penalties, in this year’s final, taking him into the Euros full of confidence.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding