For Dejan Stankovic, this will be a third World Cup for a third different country, which illustrates perfectly how turbulent the past two decades have been in eastern Europe.
In fact none of the three countries from the region at this year's finals - Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia - existed 20 years ago, when Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia had their last hurrahs at Italia '90.
Both reached the quarter-finals, the Czechoslovaks losing to West Germany, while Yugoslavia went out on penalties to Argentina, having had the better of a game in which they survived the final hour plus extra time with 10 men after Refik Sabanadzovic had been sent off.
That was fairly typical of the Yugoslav experience of the World Cup, as high hopes and decent early performances were undermined by off-field problems. On that occasion it was not infighting that undid them, as it had, say, in 1974, but political tensions back home, which culminated in Srecko Katanec, the midfielder who is now manager of the UAE's national team, receiving death threats on the eve of the match.
There were high hopes for Serbia-Montenegro four years ago, as they qualified by conceding one goal in 10 matches, only for morale to disintegrate as Ilija Petkovic, the manager, picked his son, Dusan, as a replacement for the injured Mirko Vucinic. The sight of Nemanja Vidic, Savo Milosevic and Mateja Kezman scrapping on the training field hardly helped.
Vidic then injured his back, and, with Ivica Dragutinovic also out, it meant Serbia-Montenegro fielded only half of their regular defence. They lost every game.
Qualifying offered promise again this time, as Serbia, who declared independence in February of 2008, finished top of a group that included France and Romania.
With the pacy Milos Krasic on the right, the more cerebral Milan Jovanovic on the left, and Stankovic pulling the strings from deep, the midfield is attractive and balanced, while Nikola Zigic, the 6ft 8ins centre-forward who has signed for Birmingham, the English Premier League side, provides them with a physical presence that south-eastern European sides have often lacked.
Pre-tournament friendlies, though, have not gone well. A shock defeat to New Zealand was followed by a goalless draw against Poland in atrocious conditions in which Stankovic damaged his ankle. And then there is also the mental fragility of the team, although Serbia's coach, Raddy Antic, insists it is different this time. "We've created a really positive atmosphere and our confidence is high," he said. "We've genuinely turned into a big family, and that's definitely the biggest success."
The tendency is to assume Slovakia is a new football nation, but there were more Slovaks than Czechs in the Czechoslovakia side that won the European Championship in 1976.
Under Vladimir Weiss, they have become a technically gifted, fluent side, although they are perhaps vulnerable to the crossed ball, as Cameroon showed in snatching a barely deserved draw in a friendly last week. The draw, which has grouped them with world champions Italy, Paraguay and New Zealand, has been kind. "I'd think first place is already taken," said Stanislav Sestak, the forward.
"I'm pretty sure Italy will win the group, but we're contenders for second place. That would be a huge success for Slovakia."
As Matjaz Kek, their coach, notes dryly, part of Slovenia's motivation at the World Cup is to remind people that they are not Slovakia.
For a nation with a population of only two million to qualify for a second World Cup eight years after their first would be remarkable in any circumstances, but it is particularly so given that until about 10 years ago Slovenia rather scorned any sport that did not involve hurtling down a hill very quickly.
Kek's side are solid and unpretentious, far greater than the sum of their parts. The highest-profile player is Milovan Novakovic, the centre-forward who plays for FC Koln, but they have a habit of upsetting sides who underestimate them, as Russia found to their cost in the play-offs.
"For Slovenia, it is a big thing to even qualify for the World Cup," said Zlatko Dedic, the forward. "Now our goal is to reach the second round, which is a hard task. We must keep on doing the things that worked during the qualifiers and play as a team. Every single player must have that in mind."
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
Serbia
A solid, balanced side who, on the evidence of their performances in qualifying, have the potential to make a big impression. Lack of depth up front and psychological issues remain a potential negative factor.
Slovenia
A neat, industrious team waiting to pounce on the unwary who under-estimate them. There's nothing particularly flash or sophisticated about Slovenia, but their 4-4-2 will be hard for opponents to break down.
Slovakia
A technically accomplished and free-flowing passing side through midfield, Slovakia perhaps lack a cutting edge up front and could be intimidated in encounters with more physical opposition.
Company%20profile
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Kanye%20West
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The%20specs
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Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
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Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Company%20Profile
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