Dennis Bergkamp, the former Arsenal and Holland forward, was so terrified of aviation he once claimed he would rather miss a World Cup match than fly to it.
His compatriot Robin van Persie, who admits to a distinct dislike of flying, is clearly not so severely worried as his childhood idol: the 26-year-old was willing to board a flight from London to the UAE in order to put some youngsters through their paces at the Arsenal Soccer School Dubai this week.
"I have experienced more turbulence when I go from my house to the training ground," said Van Persie, having safely touched down.
The Gunners could do with their Flying Dutchman at the Emirates Stadium tonight after experiencing a turbulent few weeks of their own. Following a chastening FA Cup exit at Stoke, Arsene Wenger's side have picked up just one point from a possible nine.
A stalemate at Aston Villa was quickly compounded by defeats to both Manchester United and Chelsea and another setback to fourth-placed Liverpool tonight would close the gap between the two teams to just two points.
The former Feyenoord striker remains ruled out with the ankle ligament damage he sustained in November, and, speaking from the sidelines of the Gunners' UAE football academy, revealed his frustration at missing the majority of his team's title tilt.
"I hate it, but I can't do anything about it - this is my situation. Although I really like it [in Dubai], I would much rather have stayed in England and played in all these great games," said Van Persie, who expects to return in April.
"Weeks like the past few when you have Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, then the Champions League against Porto, that's what you are working towards for so long. When you are a kid, that is what you dream of and I am still a kid in a way because I still love it so much.
"When you look at great players, they are always fit, always sharp. When you play 50 games a season, you can score more goals and get more assists, so you are more important to the team. Everything starts with your fitness; some players are lucky like that. My aim is just to give my all and come back and be fit. If I do that, the sky is the limit."
When Arsenal faced the Reds at Anfield earlier this season, Van Persie's countryman Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring before an own goal from Glen Johnson and an Andrey Arshavin strike sealed the points for the visitors. Kuyt is expected to start at the Emirates searching for his fifth goal in as many games.
"If you look at Liverpool this year, they are losing here, winning there - nobody knows what to expect," said Van Persie.
"They are still a great team, but it is a funny year this year. In past years, half way through the season you could already tell who would be champions, but this year it is far more exciting for all of us; the players, the fans, everyone."
Despite Arsenal enduring a four-year barren spell without silverware, Van Persie rejected offers from Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus and Inter to renew his contract at the Emirates last summer. And the striker, who has 46 goals in 126 league games for the North London side, insists he has no regrets.
"It is good that four teams were really interested in me, but I had to turn them down," he said.
"It's not as easy to leave Arsenal as you maybe think. Even if you want to leave, as a player, I don't think it is easy because when you move to Arsenal you are led there by your heart."
@Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
Arsenal v Liverpool. KO 11.45pm, Showsports 1 & 2
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
The%20specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
