congrats to…
… Iker, Sergio, Marcelo, Xabi and Cristiano for their FIFPRO World XI honor! I loved seeing Sergio, Cris, James Bond Xabi and Marcelo in tuxedos! If only Iker had gone that route too…
And although he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo was more than deserving of it for everything he did – and had to put up with – last year. I’m so proud to have you on my team, Cristiano. (And how cute was he with those kids???)
more kids’ stuff
Esteban Granero (hope he’s okay!) recently posted this photo on Instagram from the 1997-98 season, which is one I had seen before and wrote about here. But what I didn’t realize back then was that right next to the mini Madrid captain in the Kelme kit (who captured all my attention with how adorable he is) is el gordito – Antonio Adán, or “the cat of Mejorada,” according to Esteban.
Read more…
the shortest game in the world
Madrid is playing Real Sociedad this weekend, just like they did eight years ago (Jan. 5, 2005). On that occasion, however, the game was only six minutes long (plus extra time). That was because the first 87 minutes had been played on Dec. 12, 2004.
the Sergio book – the XI of my life (IV)
And now we wrap things up with the last two sections in Sergio’s life XI – music and his beloved Andalucía!
Music, my secret refuge.
In my house, music was something ordinary, habitual from the time I was born. I grew up listening to flamenco. In the car, when my parents or brother drove me to Sevilla for the training sessions, we always listened to flamenco. Everyone has their preferences, and I remember listening to Camarón, Juan Luis Guerra, Triana… my sister liked Camela a lot.
the Sergio book – the XI of my life (III)
Here are the next three sections in the chapter written by Sergio! He talks about exactly how the Copa del Rey slipped out of his hands, three coaches who have greatly influenced his career and the penalty kicks against Bayern Munich and Portugal.
Feeling like a champion.
One of the reasons why a young kid like me signed for Real Madrid was to win titles. And now with eight seasons behind me [I can’t believe it’s been that long!], I realize that I celebrated and enjoyed the first title, the Liga de Capello, like no other. We always talk about our first time, and it’s true. Time and football make you tougher. It’s not that you become less of a person, less sensitive to success or you’re less humane, but football teaches you through blows. Just like life.
¡feliz 2013!
the Sergio book – the XI of my life (II)
And we continue with Sergio’s XI… in this excerpt, he talks about four of the most important women in his life – his mother Paqui, his sister Miriam, his niece Daniela and his grandmother Reyes – as well as how the woman he marries (I guess she will be number five) should be like. And he also talks about how much he wants to have kids…
The apples of my eye.
Until the moment I have my own kids, which I would like to have because I like children a lot, the soft spots I have are for my mother, my sister and my niece Daniela. The fourth one was my grandmother, but I have another section dedicated to her.
I’m very much a mama’s boy. If my sister is my mother’s right eye [ojito derecho, literally right eye, translates to “apple of my eye”], then I’m her left one due to the devotion she has for me because of football. The faith I have in my mother surprises even my friends. I tell her everything, everything, I hold nothing back. She’s more of a friend than a mother.
When I was a child, my father was the stricter one. He was the one that punished us or scolded us when we did something bad. My mother was my ally. If my father punished me by telling me I couldn’t go out and play football or I had to come straight home, I would go to my mother and together we would get my father to go back on his word. He didn’t hit us, but when he reprimanded us, he always had a shoe in his hand. He didn’t use it, but it made us pay attention to him.
¡felices fiestas!
Dear Real Madrid,
To improve on your Christmas videos, I would suggest the following.
1. If you’re going to have the players wishing the fans a “Merry Christmas,” then you probably should release the videos before Christmas, that is, unless you mean Christmas 2014 and New Year 2013.
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