¡vamos por La Décima!

a little Pirata for your Tuesday

(¡Mucho ánimo Esteban!)

Excerpts from an interview Esteban Granero did with El Mundo.

Are you settled in yet?

I found an apartment close to the center and little by little I’m adapting.  I already had pintxos, I’ve gone on some excursions that my teammates suggested…

How do you feel about the fact that many times, you’re known as “the footballer who reads books”?

I don’t know, I’m neither the only one nor the first one to like reading.

for those who are still depressed…

They were born only about two months apart, have the exact same initials (R.A.R.) and even dress alike.  And considering how close their fathers, Álvaro Arbeloa and Raúl Albiol, are, how can Raúl and Romeo not end up best friends?

I think we could all use a little sunshine…

Just seeing the words “comunicado oficial” (“official announcement”) in the last several days brought dread into my heart.  Mesut, Antonio and Kaká, thank you and you will be missed (some more than others).  Gareth, welcome to Madrid, I hope it all goes well for you, but you haven’t earned the right to kiss the escudo yet (Isco and Carva, on the other hand, got it right).  Anyway, in case anyone needs any cheering up…

gracias Raúl

Sixteen seasons with Real Madrid, 741 games and 323 goals.  Real Madrid’s all-time leader in appearances and goalscoring.  Winner of six Ligas and three Champions Leagues.  And the source of countless glorious moments at the Bernabéu.

Welcome home.

Xabi Alonso at El Mundo

Here’s the second post, an interview with Xabi Alonso on the back page of today’s El Mundo!  I chose to translate it because well, it’s Xabi Alonso.

Do you all speak to Ancelotti or his eyebrow?

We speak in Spanish directly with him.  The first thing he said when he saw me was, “you owe me a European Cup.”  I responded, “no Carlo, you’re not wrong, you’re not wrong” (laughs).

Has the legend of Madrid’s locker room gone from fiction to science fiction?

You find people speaking completely naturally about what happened inside, leading to myths and legends.  At times it makes you laugh.

What do you play as at home?

We (referring to his wife) are two midfielders who complement each other very well.

I love the use of the emoji

Two things caught my eye recently, and I wanted to share them with you, especially since many of you who don’t speak Spanish might not see them otherwise. This post comes with a caveat, as it pokes fun at our players. So, if you very sensitive when it comes to our players, I would advise not reading any further and just clicking here to get out of the site!

TIMVP

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Go Spurs go! TP was incredible too! And still shaking my head at Sergio…