Sami Khedira, centre, impressed for Germany at the World Cup in South Africa and has told a German newspaper he is keen to link up with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
Sami Khedira, centre, impressed for Germany at the World Cup in South Africa and has told a German newspaper he is keen to link up with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.

Khedira keen on a move to Madrid



Sami Khedira, the Stuttgart midfielder, is eager to join Real Madrid after admitting his fascination with Jose Mourinho. Mourinho, the Real manager, is reportedly interested in taking Khedira to the Bernabeu after the 23-year-old German turned in a series of impressive displays in the World Cup. And the player himself is receptive to a move.

He told Bild newspaper: "I am considering a move to Real Madrid. The club have confirmed there is interest. Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world and Jose Mourinho is one of the most successful coaches in the world. Mourinho has always fascinated me. He plays a style of football which I can identify with - tactically perfect, compact in defence and quick on the counter-attack. It is the only way to be successful today."

Khedira claims Real are the only club he would consider leaving Stuttgart for. "If I wasn't serious about a move I would have allowed no contact," he said. "I would not have given it a thought for any other club in the world apart from Real." Meanwhile, Fredi Bobic, the former Germany striker, is on the verge of being named Stuttgart manager. Erwin Staudt, the club's president said: "Everything is ready, now it can go very fast."

The 23 members of France's World Cup squad have been suspended for the country's next game, the French Football Federation (FFF) said yesterday. The decision was taken during a meeting of the FFF's federal council on the recommendation of Laurent Blanc, the new coach, following the country's World Cup debacle, a statement said. France's next international is a friendly against Norway in Oslo on August 11.

The country's World Cup campaign in South Africa was a total failure as France were eliminated in the group stage having only scored one goal. Their exit followed a players' boycott of a training session in support of striker Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during a 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Filipe Luis, the Deportivo La Coruna full-back, is only a medical review away from sealing his transfer to Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of ?10 million (Dh47.3m).

The Brazilian, 24, was in the Spanish capital yesterday to undergo the standard procedure. Real Mallorca, the financially troubled Spanish club, are preparing an appeal against their exclusion from this season's Europa League by governing body Uefa. Mallorca finished fifth in La Liga last season to qualify for the Europa League but Uefa said on Thursday it had decided the club had not fulfilled the admission criteria because the requisite licence had not been granted.

Luis Huerta, the club's lawyer, said an appeal would be lodged once more was known about Uefa's decision. "This [Uefa] decision is seriously harmful to the club's administration process as there were a series of revenues expected ? that would have allowed payments to creditors," Huerta said. Liverpool winger Albert Riera has signed for Olympiakos, according to the Greek club's website. * Agencies

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Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

 “I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

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

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

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 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber

Omar Yabroudi's factfile

Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah

Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University

2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship

2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy

2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment

2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment

2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager

 

 

 

 

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

Schedule for show courts

Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time

Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic

Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown

Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young

 

Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time

Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky

Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)

Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)

 

Court 2 - from 2.30pm

Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli

Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)

 

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