Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan’s column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.
Like many people around the world, I'm looking forward to the Premier League starting this weekend.
There are several reasons why it is considered the best league in the world overall, even though the best teams do not play in it. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus are currently better than any English team, as they have proved season after season in Europe.
So why is the Premier League so popular? The stadiums in England are always full and the stands are right by the pitch, with no athletic tracks like you see elsewhere. The games are more equal, the football is aggressive and referees let the game flow more than in other countries. There is always goals, you do not see teams holding out for a goalless draw because fans won’t accept it. The games last for 90 minutes, there’s no killing a side off and relaxing after 60 minutes.
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I love the Primera Liga, but there's more of an imbalance because of an unequal distribution of money. You know the best three are going to win 80 per cent of the time.
In England, it’s more like 60 per cent. There is more competition, more surprises, especially now because no team or pair of teams are dominant like when I played.
Then, it was Manchester United and Arsenal. Now, I would not be surprised if United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur won the league this season.
Then you have the potential surprises. A year ago, I wrote in this column that Chelsea would win the league again. They did not even finish in the top six.
Leicester City, favourites for relegation, won it. That is another reason why the Premier League is so popular, but there are more factors.
The pitches are excellent, the fans noisy. Not noisy in a South American organised chanting kind of way, but those surges of noises you hear when your team attack. The supporters in stadiums support, too. They have belief for 90 minutes.
You do not get that everywhere. Then, when everyone else is having a break around Christmas, the Premier League has four games in quick succession.
It is crazy; it is intense for players. Yet the way the teams travel helps.
I estimated that I spent 180 days per year away from home in hotel when I played around the world. In England, it was half that.
I know United have changed now, but you could sleep at home the night before games at Old Trafford. And because so many games are so close, you could be back home quickly from many away games.
Liverpool to Manchester is less than an hour. There are lots of derbies, lots of huge rivalries. United and Leeds United were rivals when I was there. I would like to see Leeds back.
This season, Middlesbrough, a team I was going to join, have been promoted and they have three good Uruguayan players.
That is another reason the league appeals – it has players from around the world. Maybe that is a reason why the England national team is so poor, because not enough players get a chance and almost no English players play abroad.
The Premier League has got so many big clubs, too. Liverpool are massive around the world, probably because of what they did in the 70s and 80s.
I knew all about them growing up in Uruguay. I was keen to make a good impression at the famous Anfield stadium when I played there too, so I made sure I scored for United. Twice. Then, in case they forgot me, I scored again for Atletico. Liverpool fans applauded me at the end, which was a class thing to do.
I cannot see one team dominating this season, not like we used to at United where we could win by playing badly.
United played poorly last season and lost several times. In fact they did not win one game in eight in December.
United have bought well this summer and Jose Mourinho is a top manager. I think Zlatan Ibrahimovic will succeed in England, while the young players could well make United great again and get them back to where they should be, but it is unlikely to happen immediately.
Teams come together over years, not months. I also think United need stronger squad players around their star players, who could get injured.
They have a very good reserve goalkeeper in Sergio Romero, but need more cover in other areas. What happens if they even have half the injuries of last season?
United have serious competition, too. Pep Guardiola is a master, but he will demand his players play exactly to his system.
They have to trust him like Barca’s did. Again, that could take time, but if he gets it right City could be outstanding. They’re buying fast young players. Speed and age matter.
The rivalry between Guardiola and Mourinho will keep people watching. I was in Spain when they were head-to-head and the clash of styles and personalities fascinated.
England is full of top managers. Antonio Conte did a superb job rebuilding Juventus and I hope Chelsea are patient with him. Arsene Wenger will always put a title challenge in with Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino has a fine young team which he has built at Tottenham.
Can he compete for the league while playing in the Champions League and does he have the money to add to it with the top class signings?
All these questions will be answered. I would love to play back in the Premier League, but I appreciated the chance I had when I was younger.
While I consider what to do next with my career, I’ll happily watch the football from England.
sports@thenational.ae
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
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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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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
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.
Naga
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
SPECS
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Jawan
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