ABU DHABI // Rafa Benitez will be looking to end his five-year trophy drought by leading Inter Milan to victory in the Club World Cup.
The Spaniard's last success was an epic one when he led Liverpool, the English Premier League club, to a remarkable victory in the European Champions League in 2005. But with two wins from the past nine games, his job has come under increasing pressure.
Benitez, however, was adamant he is not thinking about the final yet, even though Inter are favourites to win the tournament.
"The first game is very important and we are not looking beyond that," he said yesterday at Zayed Sports City.
"Everything will depend on our first game, which will be like a final for us."
He watched last night's game between Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Al Wahda, with the South Korean side winning 4-1 to earn the right to face Inter on Wednesday.
"I have a lot of respect for all teams that are here," he said. "We have also come here to win and I am sure that if we play well, we can win against any team.
"We are Inter and are prestigious and a very important club, with many supporters behind us and many players whom have done really well to be here.
"This is a team with quality, I am convinced we will do well because you can't get and you can't lose quality overnight: we must have the mentality, the legs, the tactics and above all the spirit to win this trophy."
Ivan Cordoba, Inter's Colombian defender, said he felt there was not much difference between the team that won the Champions League last season and the one that is struggling domestically in the current campaign (they are 10 points behind leaders AC Milan in Serie A).
"We have gone through some difficult times," said Cordoba. "But we will come through this. And on those terms, winning this trophy is very important."
apassela@thenational.ae
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Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
