Before I recap what happened yesterday, here are two more moments from the press conference on Tuesday. Is Iker scolding David for not calling him (¡qué cara tienes!)? But in the end, they made up, and got lost in each other’s eyes. And if you didn’t think Iker was adorable enough, well, here’s another example to convince you. While Iker was speaking, he was talking about football, and then added, “soccer, as you say here.” This caused Cristiano to smile, and later on, he teased Iker about it. Soccer? Soccer. So Iker did end up saying something in English!
And now, onto Wednesday’s activities…
If I spotted him in the produce section of the supermarket, I’d buy him and take him home…
Madrid had another double training session yesterday, as José Mourinho continued to work his players hard, as he had warned during his press conference on Tuesday. Xabi Alonso trained alone (he had problems with a toenail) in the morning session, doing some jogging, though he rejoined his teammates for the afternoon session. Nuri Sahin missed both sessions, and Madrid revealed why later on: he has a grade I sprain to his left knee, which he injured on Tuesday (it was his right knee that kept him out for the final months of last season). He’ll be out for two to three weeks.
Wow, José’s tongue is certainly… long, isn’t it? And I love that we got to see the whole gamut of training-wear, from sweatshirts to t-shirts to tank tops.
Xabi looking ready for a photo shoot, and what’s up with Mou’s two watches? Maybe one is set to local time and the other to Madrid time, so he can see if the players back home are following his schedule. And I see Cris is back to hiking up his shorts… which is good news for Mesut Özil, who tried to get an eyeful. Is Mesut this pre-season’s Álvaro Morata?
Sergio and Pepe spoke to the press (I can’t remember the last time they did), chosen because they were recently resigned by the club. Pepe revealed that José Mourinho was an important factor in his contract extension, and said he was happy to re-sign: “I’m happy because I could re-sign, I was convinced that things would go well and I’m content to be where I wanted to be. I’m quite happy.” He also spoke about Fábio Coentrão, saying that he’s a “great player,” though with “a lot to learn,” and that “we’ll try to help him integrate into the group.” Meanwhile, Sergio was relieved now that his situation is cleared up: “my renovation was delayed a bit for some issues that needed to be cleared up, but my idea was to stay here and I’ve achieved the dream I had… I’ve always felt valued. When I renewed is the least important thing, it was delayed because I wasn’t interested in dealing with it before and I wasn’t worried about doing it. I was concentrating on playing at my highest level… My dream now is to have my name endure here, in such a grand institution.” The second captain also said they’re excited about the new season and have a lot of desire to correct the defects they had last year.
Sergio also said that he dreamed about continuing to win titles, and joked, “no one can take your achievements away from you, even if they fall out of your hands. If I have to break another trophy to win one, I’ll be happy to do so.”
Plus, they’re already calling Raphaël Varane “Rafa”!
Sergio tweeted and Iker posted these photos. Is Sergio doing photos by (loosely defined) nationality this year? And poor Nuri, we can see that his knee is all bandaged up. I hope his integration process won’t be hindered by the fact that he won’t be training with his teammates for the next several weeks. And Iker was having “tea with milk” with the twins and the pirate, relaxing after four tough training sessions.
All three of our U-19 players – Dani Carvahal, Álex and MFC Álvaro Borja Morata Martín – are on the final list of 18 players selected to play in the U-19 Euro from July 16 to Aug. 1 in Romania. Pablo Sarabia made the final cut too, and the RFEF still listed him as a Real Madrid player when publishing the definitive list.
Manolito Adebayor spoke to AS recently, and he had said some very nice things about the club and José Mourinho.
on Real Madrid: I spoke to Mourinho before going on vacation. He told me to be tranquil, that he wanted me to stay. If he called me right now, I would take the next flight to Los Angeles. And if it were up to me, I would play three or four years with Madrid and retire there.
on Mourinho: he gave me the confidence that I lacked, he made me believe in myself, enjoy football once again. He convinced us that we could win titles, that everyone was important. He created a phenomenal atmosphere, we helped each other. We competed to play, but always respectfully. He’s the best coach I’ve ever worked with, without a doubt, and Madrid will win titles with him. I would love to continue having him as a coach… I’m here if he needs me. And if in the end, our paths diverge, I want him and the club to know that I wish them the best. I say that from the heart. I owe them one.
on his former teammates: you know who I speak with almost every day? With Benzema. We chatted for a while yesterday. This summer, I’ve been in contact with Marcelo, Cristiano… they’re good friends.
But we already knew that, didn’t we?
