LONDON // Paul Scholes, the Manchester United midfielder, announced his retirement from football yesterday, ending the trophy-laden career of a famously low-key player widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted of his generation.
Scholes, 36, made 676 appearances for United. He made his debut in 1994 and was the heartbeat of a team that has dominated English football for the past two decades.
Xavi, the Spain midfielder, said Scholes was "the best central midfielder that I have seen", while the France great Zinedine Zidane once described him as "almost untouchable".
"I am not a man of many words, but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do, and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour," said Scholes, who eschewed the celebrity lifestyle of many modern-day footballers. "This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing."
Scholes won 10 Premier League titles - and 24 trophies in total - with United, scoring 150 goals. He was no longer a regular choice in the first team by the end of the recently completed season, leading to growing speculation about his future.
His last appearance was as a substitute in Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
Two weeks earlier, he helped United claim a record 19th English title, overhauling Liverpool as the country's most successful league team. He made 66 appearances for England before retiring from international football in 2004 to focus on his club career.
A one-club man, Scholes said he will stay at United by taking up a coaching role next season.
His manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said: "What more can I say about Paul Scholes that I haven't said before? We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player. Paul has always been fully committed to this club, and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season. Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role."
Scholes began as a deep-lying forward but eventually dropped back into central midfield where his touch, technique and vision could be more effectively utilised. He never lost his eye for goal, though, and turned his late runs into the penalty box into an art form.
"He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn't give possession away," Xavi said. "If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more."
His failing was his tackling, which was often late and clumsy.
He missed the dramatic win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final through suspension but started in 2008 when United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow to claim their third European Cup.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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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.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)
Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)
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Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)
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