The most prestigious individual award in football will be presented to a young man from the island of Mad-eira on Monday, in a Paris ceremony designed to look a little like the Oscars. There, Cristiano Ronaldo will accept the Ballon d'Or trophy from its organisers, France Football magazine, and probably be reminded that he, the 2008 winner, has much in common with the first man to receive the prize, 52 years ago - at least in as far as Stanley Matthews too was a winger who earned his living in England.
Most of the more recent holders of the Ballon d'Or, formerly known as the European Footballer of the Year prize, have tended to travel to Paris from homes in Italy. Kaka, of Milan and Brazil, won it in 2007. Fabio Cannavaro had it the year before, based principally on what he had done as captain of Italy that June and July. Andriy Shevchenko, then, as now, of AC Milan, had been 2004's choice, Juventus's Pavel Nedved the victor in 2003. Even Ronaldo - that's Brazil's Ronaldo, not Portugal's - who was voted No 1 in 2002, had spent most of that year as an employee of Inter Milan, though it was his dream World Cup that turned the voters in his direction.
The point here is that, even through the scandals, the crowd trouble, the loss of its dominant position in the recruitment of the leading stars, Serie A has until now carried over from the garlanded 1990s the idea that it was the best launching pad for a footballer to attain top billing. Not so this year. The Italians who shone at an ordinary Euro 2008 for the Azzurri were defensive players like Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini, and, the Canavaro precedent apart, it is harder for these types to captivate the 96 journalists from around the world who elect the winner than it is for an attacking footballer. No Italian club made it beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League either and if the scudetto holders, Inter, have an outstanding individual, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he spent periods sidelined with injury and was never going to score the phenomenal number of goals Ronaldo did for Manchester United.
Ibrahimovic, incidentally, has been lobbying for the prize, if not this year - "I would give it Cristiano Ronaldo," he says, "or Iker Casillas the Spain goalkeeper if Euro 2008 was the main thing taken into account" - then imminently. Ibrahimovic granted an interview to France Football's sister publication, L'Equipe last week, and it is safe to report that an excess of modesty was not his chosen posture. Ranking himself in the same bracket as United's Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the likely top two in the 2008 rankings, he also compared himself to the two most recent of the Ballon d'Or winners who are currently at work in Italy. "I feel I'm on a level with Kaka and Ronaldinho. Put me alongside them and I don't think I'd be out of place," said the Inter striker. Beyond the preening, Ibrahimovic also made the sensible point that to be honoured as the world's best, a Champions League medal seemed essential and that the Ballon d'Or doesn't always go to the best man, "otherwise Paolo Maldini would have won it". Milan's evergreen captain probably should have done in at least one of the 22 years he has been playing in Serie A.
Even the ageless Maldini would acknowledge he has probably, at 40, missed that boat now. Francesco Totti, the Roma icon, may have done too. Only one Italian, Buffon, so much as made the shortlist of 30 this time. Only three Serie A players - Kaka and Ibrahimovic the others - were on it, compared with 11 players each from the English Premier League and from Spain's La Liga. It's a low yield for Italy. Inter and Juve need to correct that with a good run in Europe in the first five months of 2009.
@Email:ihawkey@thenational.ae
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Bullet%20Train
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Elvis
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
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 PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
