a jumble of tweets, interviews & news

First up, mucha suerte to madridista Rafa Nadal in the Wimbledon final this afternoon!  And that’s always a good excuse to post this vintage photo.  Rulo and Becks still look pretty much the same, but Iker and Sergio have definitely improved, no?

The shirt Rafa’s wearing at Wimbledon this year is just like Madrid’s next season, in that there are demarcated underarm patches…

It’s starting… Madrid has just announced that Pablo Sarabia has been sold to Getafe, although Madrid reserves a buyback option.  I’d love to see Pablo back, but I doubt it it will happen.  So, good luck there, Pablito, from me, MFC ABMM and Denis!

More tweets, interviews and news, as the title suggests…

MFC Álvaro Borja Morata Martín renewed his contract with Real Madrid on Friday, linking him to the club until 2015.  Apparently, he’ll continue with Castilla for the moment, though he will be training regularly with the first team.  Here he is leaving the Bernabéu with his agent.

He also tweeted these photos from his recent vacation in Punta Cana.  I’m sure the dolphin is not the only one around who’d like to give a big kiss to ABMM…

We haven’t heard much from Xabi Alonso this summer, the only peep we’ve heard from him was when he recently tweeted – in three languages no less – that he was playing and watching tennis during his vacation.

Meanwhile, Iker’s been busy with his summer campus, he returned to Madrid to attend the campus in his hometown of Móstoles.  There, he hung out with children who want to be like him (the little blond boy with the bowl haircut is adorable!) and made sure to ask whether they had done well in school this past year.

In the following video, we find out from Iker that he has a bit of cold, because he just came back from America, his manias are playing with cut sleeves and wearing his socks inside out, and he would like to continue playing until his late 30s.  And only kids would dare ask him questions such as “why did Barça beat you 5-0,” “do you like Mourinho?” and “who would you like to sign, Agüero or Neymar?”  Iker had to tell them more than once that “I’m not the coach.”

Yes, Iker is definitely “un wínner.”

Iker and Sara Carbonero spent yesterday listening to Joaquín Sabina and Andrés Calamaro during their concert in Hoyos del Espino (Ávila), along with 11,000 or so other persons.

Meanwhile, Álvaro Arbeloa took the time to welcome his great friend and former canterano Álvaro Mejía to twitter.  Álvaro (Mejía) returned the compliment, and also mentioned that Soledad is now the “grandmother of Spain” and that San Bernardino was excellent in the pranks.  Remember when Mejía cut his hair and it was big news?

Sergio was in Stockholm for a few days with his brother René, music producer RedOne and several musicians including Taio Cruz.  He’s tweeted yesterday that he’s back in Madrid.  Someone really needs some new poses, and a new hat.  And while we’re at it, the shorts can go too.

Loving this little banter between our canteranos!  Jorge Casado started things out by tweeting, “hello, my name is Denis and in the summer I forget about my friends!”  Denis then replied, “jajaja, you know that in 15 days, you’re going to have to put up with me like always!  Jajaja, I love you, there are people that go to Ibiza and forget about everything else.”  Jorge then tweeted back, “it’s not because of me, Denis, because I’m in the pueblo sitting in the fresh air!  Ibiza is water under the bridge.”  Denis then asked, “where is this town, I’ll go there!”  The town is Zarza de Granadilla, in Cáceres, where Jorge’s parents are from, although he said he considers himself a “madrileño.”

Fernando Pacheco gave an interview to Hoy in his home province of Extremadura (he was born in Badajoz).  Our future goalkeeper spoke about José Mourinho, Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo.  Highlights:

It’s more difficult to speak with you than the president of the government.

(Laughs)  It’s complicated.  You need the permission of the club because there were some misunderstandings with the press.  You have to understand that.

Although both of you are very young, in the concentración, your teammate Canales could be your older brother…

Yes.  We’ve coincided on the first team and the truth is that he’s a phenomenal person.  I have a great relationship with him.  He’s a very normal guy.  A great guy.

I’ve read that Casillas and Pepe Reina are your idols.

Yes.  They’re my references for what they achieved and my objective is to become like them.

For a Madrid canterano, I suppose Casillas is the person to look up to.

It’s not only the canteranos.  He’s that for all footballers.  He’s the best goalkeeper in the world.

On Madrid’s web site, you say you’re very self-critical.  Explain that to me.

Yes.  I review my performances after games to think about how I can improve.  I don’t have any problems in admitting my errors.  I’m young.

When Mourinho called you up for Gijón, what did you think?

It’s very difficult to explain that feeling.  Very emotional.  In theory, it was for one training session and it lasted a month.  I wanted to be a sponge and soak up the best thing about each one.

How was it getting to know Mourinho?

He impressed me.  He’s a great coach and a great person, nothing like what you see on TV.

Who made you nervous?  Mourinho, Cristiano, Iker…

¡Hombre!  With my idol Iker Casillas.  He impressed me more than Cristiano or Mourinho.  Then, CR7.

Which out of these superstars caught your attention?

Well, they’re the complete opposite.  They’re normal persons in spite of their fame.  All of them.

You’ve had the opportunity to work with them face to face.

I was surprised by how normal they are, people can have the wrong idea bout them if they don’t know them.

Marca ran this interview with actor Fernando Tejero, who is probably best known for his role as the portero (doorman, not goalkeeper in this case) in the TV series Aquí no hay quien viva.  However, he also has a stellar movie career, and has appeared in several football-related movies, including the hilarious Días de fútbol (watch it if you have a chance!), El penalti más largo del mundo, and the upcoming El sueño de Iván and En fuera de juego, where Iker Casillas makes a cameo.  Since Fernando is a confessed madridista, they talk a bit about the team and its players.  And Fernando has some great anecdotes to relate.

You’re a fan of Real Madrid.

Sí, soy del Real Madrid.  If I’m sincere, I began to get to know the world of football through the movies.  When I began to get interested, the first person that tried to get me involved was Joaquín Sabina [the cantautor whose concert Iker went to yesterday] who wanted me to support Atlético de Madrid.  But then I met Iker Casillas…

He does have potent powers of seduction.

Years ago, during the boom of the series Aquí no hay quien viva, I was at a disco.  I was on the dance floor, and a guy came up to me saying, “Tejero, you’re my idol, I think you’re great.”  And I thanked him.  A friend of mine then came up and told me, “do you know who that was?  It’s Iker Casillas, the goalkeeper of Real Madrid.”  So I went running after him and I told him to forgive me, that it was so dark that I didn’t recognize him.  As time passed by, Iker found out the truth: “you bastard, you didn’t recognize me because it was dark, ¿eh?”

You’re a very good actor, but not a good liar.

It didn’t work.  Anyway, that night I told Iker that I was going to play a goalkeeper in a movie and he told me that it would be a pleasure to help me out.  He gave me his telephone number, and I called him.  He tried to teach me how to stop balls and to fall gracefully.  But I couldn’t get the hang of it.  I kept falling badly on the field, and I had to get an operation during the filming.  I didn’t learn how to fall, not matter how much Iker tried to teach me.  What a character Iker is, what a sincere guy!  He couldn’t be more humble.  I hope that Sara (Carbonero) treats him well because she’s gotten a prince.  And then there’s Guti.

Did Guti also go looking for you?

I met him during a Joaquín Sabina concert [Guti’s ex-wife was also at the concert yesterday, by the way].  He told me that his kids adored me and that he would like me to meet them.  And that’s what happened, I met his kids and I also met a Guti that is completely different than how he seems on TV.  He’ll kill me if he reads this, but I think it’s charming.  He’s like a kid, an insecure kid that is an excellent footballer but puts on a mask to protect himself.  He’s always described as cocky, but I’ll always defend him because he’s caring, generous and a wonderful father.

And you also know Sergio Ramos.

One time, he came to find me to take a photo [sorry to remind you of that outfit] with me, but I didn’t have time to talk with him. 

What person from the world of football deserves a movie?

Guti!  He has such nuances!  It would be a tragedy-comedy, and the title would be (thinks) “The great Guti: the story of an unknown idol.”