Footballers in love - sexual identity and hot players: including lots of hot guys (Pt 54)

Lot's going on. German players talking about coming out/not coming out. Real Madrid in free-fall. Sevilla maybe reborn. Cristiano asks to leave. Villa a scoring machine again. Iniesta voted best player in Europe. Llorente still hot as fuck. Pep settled into fancy digs in New York. Fasten your seat belts!

• These fucking threads SUCK. Delete and ban the OP. F&F for the OP.

• Are you new to the Internet, R1? If you don't like a thread, you pass on by, not demand the extinction of one of the most popular long-running threads in DL history. Meanwhile, here's a delicious quote from our old friend Zlatan to Eurosport on the subject of high salaries: "Quality is not free. I don't understand all the criticism. After all, the more money I earn, the more tax France receives..."

• And PSG is 2-3-0 in [italic]Ligue 1[/italic] which isn't terribly impressive.

• And PSG is 2-3-0 in [italic]Ligue 1[/italic] which isn't terribly impressive.

• Haha, this thread is D-E-A-D. Fuck you, OP.

• how many goals has villa shot?

• Happy Zlatan.

  http://is13.snstatic.fi/img/468/1288500796166.jpeg

• That great mistress of the spotlight chooses the first CL match and the moment of Piqué's concern-causing injury to grab it again with this tweet: [quote] As some of you may know, Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby!

• Injured S.O. means non-travelling S.O., so I'm sure she's thrilled.

• I'm sure Shakira and Pique decided together when to break this news. I wish them luck.

• She has amplified the statement:

  http://shakira.com/post/31876893971/a-message-from-shakira-un-mensaje-de-shakira

• But I thought Pique was gay?

  LOL

• It appears he had an experimental past. Some of those boys... (not Zlatan)

• Yes, R12. And everybody thought Rock Hudson was straight. There was conspiracy talk on gay sites last year that Piqué and Cesc, both managed by IMG, suddenly had glamorous girlfriends, both of Lebanese extraction. People who (like me) thought it extreme to posit that a management might demand such a thing should have heard a performer in another field telling us at a party night before last how, when she and her then-new husband were expecting their first child, IMG tried to get her to have an abortion for the sake of her earning power. So merely getting a girlfriend seems a lot less extreme, no? And if that girlfriend's biological clock is ticking and she wants good genes for her kid ...? Not to mention good publicity.

• Practitioner of another genus of football continues to speak out about gay athletes:

  http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2012/09/19/chris-kluwe-vikings-gay-rights

• And a baseball magnate comes out.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/bruni-a-new-inning-late-in-the-game.html%3Fpagewanted%3D1%26_rmoc.semityn.www%26smid%3Dfb-share

• Oh, my! Pep looks skinier than ever. This pic is about three weeks old, but the guy appears to be losing weight on his sabbatical.

  http://www.marca.com/2012/09/01/tenis/us_open/1346532033.html

• I don't think Pep looks any thinner than before (and I've now seen him twice in New York). His team certainly doesn't seem to be suffering with his departure! On four previous occasions Barcelona have won the first six Liga matches of the season: 1929/30, 1990/91, 1997/98 and 2009/10. Only once did Barcelona fail to win the League after such a winning start [in 1930].

• DL is an American board, most posters don't realize OP is talking about non-US football, the sport Americans call Soccer.

• Another sport gets an open gay:

  http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/10/03/orlando-cruz-is-boxings-first-openly-gay-man/1612095/

• R19, don't you think the exclusive references in the OP to European matters would be a hint that it's not "US football" under discussion? How did we EVER get to 54 threads without your help?

• I take it your - [italic]mascot[/italic] (snigger) Piqué is no more.

• No more what? He's still around, but he's nursing a foot injury. I see you used the accent, so I probably didn't need to tell you that, right?

  Are you sad, too?

• R19 = Alberta Einstein (and it's spelled "futbol", hon).

• R24 In spanish it's spelled "fútbol". foot=fut and ball=bol

  not%20r19

• The article isn't online, but SPORTS ILLUSTRATED has a big article on tomorrow's Clásico, and the politics of it. Piqué says the game is less between Barcelona and Madrid than between Catalonia and Spain. Here's an article that talks to him and Cesc:

  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/10/05/barcelona-real-madrid-rivalry/index.html%23ixzz28SydF000

• And a really superb article in THE INDEPENDENT on the meaning of the Clásico:

  http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/barcelona-versus-real-madrid-catalan-flag-to-fly-at-el-clasico-8200160.html

• The World's Team:

  http://www.twitpic.com/b1kve4/full

• Tw Pique: "How eager are some people to misinterprete my words to create more tension just before the clasico.." Tw Pique: "Just said Barça-Madrid is more and more linked with Catalonia-Spain and it shouldn't be like that. It's just a game of football." barcastuff ‏@barcastuff note: pique's words in 'sports illustrated' were again manipulated by madrid press and led to pique being abused by spanish extremists

• Is it just me or does it seem like the fall Clasico is being held earlier each year? I recall them being at the end of October. I suppose it's better than doing it after an international break...

• Finally read the SI and Telegraph articles. There's nothing untrue in them, but typically the Madrid press will make a meal of it as they do everything, including the diagreements and weirdnesses in their own club. FFS, Marca even went after San Pau Gasol (who has no separatist leanings and considers himself Spanish, as well as Catalan) about something unrelated to Catalonia. They absolutely lit into him when he didn't play on the NT one summer after years of a heavy schedule. It was a rather hysterical interview because it seemed like the journo who wrote it had ZERO understanding of an athlete's need for rest and recovery. Hello, he's 7 ft tall and plays a sport that takes a toll on the joints. You know a hard court and 100 plus games per year. The journa was a little bitch. It was great because Gasol just bitch-slapped him right back. At least they printed this part! I do have to say that I'm gaining a newfound respect for Sergio Ramos! Whodathunk?!

• So glad I checked the schedule. El Clasico is starting two hours earlier than usual (or at least one).

• R31, join us Ramos fans on the dark side ...

  we%20have%20cookies%20decorated%20like%20footballs

• It's half time in a fantastic El Clasico and I've, on impulse, decided to check on this thread for the first time in months ... I see its same-old, same-old with the Real Madrid/Spain bashing and the Gerard Pique troll trying to make a Barca shrine. It seems less and less likely this thread will ever revert to something that would accomodate other football fans. Not sure if I'll return now. Adios.

  Madridista

• Jeez, Madridista, or should I say "Mary!"? This thread is the nicest it's been in months and it puts your panties in a twist? And, yeah. It's been a fantastic match. I'm disappointed that Bein Sport muted all of the stadium sounds so their talking heads could yammer on. I'm not so sure about the three man commentating format...

  You've been "Oh, deared."

• [quote] ... troll trying to make a Barca shrine. Dear, it's less that than it has ever been. The original title was "Barcelona Footballers in Love," no? Don't be so offended if the most popular team in the world comes up a lot.

• I don't get the EPL on tv. I saw online that Torres has already gotten 4 goals. What's new for him that's making a difference this season? Drogba's absence?

• Confidence, rest, and a better emerging midfield for Torres.

• I can't resist posting this comment to Sid Lowe's SI article for the Madridista: [quote]Just pre-face every article with how you are pro-madrid. Slighting Messi who was EVERYWHERE, drawing handfuls of defenders all game, and praising Ronaldo for two one on one finishes created by others. SO bias. He's soooooo biased! But against which team? (excepting Oviedo)

• R37, Torres has started every single game for Chelsea so far. Unbelievably Chelsea went into the new season with only 2 strikers and one of them is currently injured so Torres has started all the games and is playing practically every minute. He has scored 6 and though I don't put much stock in player indices, he's the top rank player in the Premier League's office players index. He's done well and is one reason Chelsea are top of the league. He's still got issues with finishing and his confidence though. He easily could be on 10 goals by now. And there are plenty of Chelsea fans and pundits who think Chelsea will be better off "when" Falcao or Cavani come in January. Aside from being on pitch, Chelsea have radically altered their game and it's no longer about lumping the ball up to Drogba and if he doesn't score, Lampard will boot the rebound in. That game never suited Torres and luckily Chelsea's game is changing due to the additions of young skilled players like Eden Hazard and Oscar. Last season the creativity burden rested solely on Mata's shoulders but now there are at least three players who are wonderfully skilled on and off the ball. It's not only been good for Torres, it's even been better for Mata who has been Chelsea's best player in the last 3 weeks. It's ironic Del Bosque dropped him from the national team as he's probably the best player in England currently. It's still only 7 games into the season so the band of Hazard, Mata and Oscar are still gelling with Torres. The optimist in me thinks they haven't even reached a good understanding yet and when they do, Torres and Chelsea will be very, very good. The pessimist in me knows Torres hasn't been great in over 2 years now and each little spike in form has led to severe disappointment. Hoping for the best but guarded for the worst. I think the days of Torres being touted as the best #9 in the world are over now. That mantle so obviously belongs to Falcao (who basically scores in every single game he plays) but I'd be over the moon if Torres can return to scoring regularly and being an important player for a winning team.

  Torres%20troll

• The paps are on Pep taking or picking up his daughter from school.

  http://footballerspaparazzi.tumblr.com/post/33426562282/familyofsport-maria-and-pep-guardiola

• Caption?

  http://i.imgur.com/lU6WM.jpg

• Bojan being his slutty self:

  http://i.imgur.com/ubaqP.gif

• Our old pal Zlatan continues to be Mr. Congeniality:

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/16/zlatan-ibrahimovic-arrogant-childish

• Ask Piqué anything:

  http://www.fcbarcelona.com/club/barca-2-0/detail/article/digital-hangout-with-pique

• "They can call me maricón, or faggot," he says with a wry smile as he tickles Bam-Bam behind the ears, "and I don't care. Let them say it because they can't hurt me now. I am relaxed. I feel so happy. But to make this announcement to the whole world I had to be very strong."

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/oct/18/orlando-cruz-gay-boxer-interview%3FCMP%3Dtwt_gu

• Footballers as pilgrims:

  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/%3Fset%3Da.426391097421674.97613.121214031272717%26type%3D1

• DataLounge bait if there ever was any! Tomás Guasch writes in Marca there is a widespread rumor that Robson and Mourinho were lovers ("novios"). He adds the rather unlikely detail that the origin of this rumor is Guardiola. Some people (including Sid Lowe) are worked up about this "serious accusation" -- against G., not again R. and M.

• Here's a link to the article. (It may be relevant that Guasch is a notorious Barça-baiter at MARCA, and is said to make up shit all the time. But you'd think Pep could sue him over this one, if it isn't true.)

• Jesus! Thanks for the heads up. I just checked Lowe's Twitter feed yesterday morning. This is too funny.

• Fighting homophobia among athletes (while being hot):

  https://www.upworthy.com/when-you-pin-sweaty-dudes-to-a-mat-for-a-living-being-an-lgbtq-ally-kind-of-make%3Fc%3Dufb5

• Sergio Ramos hotter than ever

  http://www.corazonblanco.com/media/galeria/44/1/3/1/4/n_real_madrid_sergio_ramos-5224131.jpg

• Incidently, Zlatan’s “most embarrassing moment” is to have been when he was wrestling on the bed with his best friend, footballer Tony Flygare, when they were 17. Tony, “as a joke”, put his hand inside Zlatan’s trousers and told him he wanted him - at the exact moment when Tony’s mother chose to open the door. Oh, Ibra....

  http://phenomenon-of-ibrahimovic.tumblr.com/post/34485171406/50-things-about-zlatan-ibrahimovic-part-1%23disqus_thread

• Wow. Has anybody read this? Does he talk about our special topic?

  http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do%3FISBN%3D9780852653081

• Cesc shows how it's done:

  http://instagram.com/p/Rn1PJ_iXJ_/

• Zlatan “Forward of the year” So, “Mike” is a popular swedish actor and he’s handing out the award. Zlatan gets an extra ball because Mike accepted that on Zlatans behalf in 2005. Zlatan says he saw him self in Mike when they first met in Brazil and Mike jumps in saying that they are moving in together. The girl says, “I wonder what Zlatans girlfriend will say about that” Zlatan: “It’s okay, there’s room”

• All four of Zlatan's goals from tonight, have a look before the link disappears.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dbd1Uuzoo9FA

• Our old friend Zlatan, extremely impressed with himself and maybe not tonight needing to be comforted by his old amour, Piqué:

  http://blog.foxsoccer.com/post/35726579824/even-zlatan-must-be-impressed-by-zlatan-here

• Don't get me wrong. I'm not usually all that choosy. But Zlatan's silly little ponytail would be a dealbreaker for me.

• Piqué talks politics:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dd_nKtAmEUss%26feature%3Dg-upl

• "Oh, Grace. You know I don't follow the volleyball."

• Lookin' pretty metrosexual there, Pep!

  https://twitter.com/turrdfergusson/status/270531847631544322/photo/1

• No way he'd go to Oz, right? If Posh didn't jump at the chance to live in Paris surely the shopping in Australia wouldn't suit her. Ives Galarcep ‏@SoccerByIves LA Galaxy announce that the 2012 MLS Cup Final will be David Beckham's last game for the Galaxy.

• Is it time for Fernando Torres to return to Atlético Madrid?

  http://www.football365.com/spanish-thing/8273334/Spanish-Thing

• Sevilla’s manager Michel was asked about the abuse he is regularly subjected to. Michel is often the victim of disgusting chants about his sexuality. Last night he was asked about the chants, to which he superbly answered ‘I am used to it, but maybe if they continue I might start to believe that I actually am gay’.

  http://forzafutbol.com/2012/11/viva-la-liga-why-is-the-so-called-best-league-in-the-world-killing-itself.html

• Is it the fall of the Ricky Martin of football? The journalists sure are ganging up on C. Ronaldo lately:

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/nov/28/cristiano-ronaldo-strength-weakness%3FCMP%3Dtwt_gu

• Fucking testosterone! A Brit, a Wop, and a very sexy bald Argentine:

  http://www.totalbarca.com/2012/multimedia/video-foreign-desk-from-pep-to-tito/%23more-123459%20

• Our old tattooed pal Zlatan becomes the first person to play in the Champions League for SIX different clubs: Ajax Juventus Inter Barcelona Milan PSG

• Everyone on this thread is a future rape victim! Pass it on!

  The%20Rest%20Of%20The%20DL

• No blacks or gays!

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/17/zenit-st-petersburg-fan-group%3FCMP%3Dtwt_gu

• I was about to post that. I think it needs its own thread.

• I agree.

• Brace yourself for more Ramos brilliance:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DKc2TDxfUuPE

• How does it feel to be a Moudridista these days? Is the man losing the plot? First, he subjects a Radio Marca correspondent to the firing squad and then he benches Iker, one of the three "black sheep" who "fuck" everything up. He should stay so classy.

• Is Phil Ball trying to tell us something? [quote]I don't wish to judge what I cannot really know (I don't have access to the Bernabéu dressing-room) but it was clear from the very first days of Mourinho's reign that the sparks might fly. It was actually in the first weeks of training with Mourinho that Casillas was sent as delegate to the manager to ask him if the team could cut the hated practice of the concentración, where the players get together the night before a match in Madrid in a hotel, separated from wives, girlfriends and boyfriends.

  http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1275617/phil-ball:-christmas-crackers%3Fcc%3D5901

• The Guardian's '100 best footballers in the world'. A little biased for the Premiership at the Bundesliga's and Serie A's expense, don't you think?

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/interactive/2012/dec/20/top-100-footballers-in-the-world-interactive

• Sure, Torres is scoring goals now but I say there are more important things to focus on.

  http://25.media.tumblr.com/0ed00eeb320eec7754df51cd20755d27/tumblr_mfhsveJsHV1qkwljuo1_500.png

• Mourinho is a double-edged sword to the nth degree. He brings success immediately but after the 2nd or 3rd season, no one can stand his toxicity. He will leave Real and I suspect it's going to take a season or two for the club to purge and renew itself, so toxic is any Mourinho regime. He's never going to be any club's long term plan. I do hope he gets the Man United job. He'll win a few things within 2 seasons but he'll destroy the club atmosphere, spirit and image by the 3rd.

• England can have him. He does better with the journalists there. They adore him because he never fails them with a good quote or spectacle so he's written about more positively. The press in Italy and Spain isn't so forgiving. Phil Ball's writing has always had a sense of humor, but I don't know if he was trying to be humorous referring to players' "boyfriends."

• Poor Ramos, he obviously feels awkward.

• Well, how times change. A year ago we were treated to (understandable) triumphalism from our Madridistas because R.M. was a few points ahead in La Liga and finally might win that title again. Now that they're SIXTEEN big points behind Barcelona and even 7 points behind Atletico ... crickets.

• I'm annoyed because the FSC had Norwich and Chelsea scheduled, but are showing Man City and Sunderland. I don't think I've ever watched a complete Man City match and I don't really want to start. IIRC, we had a Madridista and a Moudridista. The former was fine, but the latter got a little Falangist in his zeal.

• Piqué wants to tell you about his year:

  https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php%3Fv%3D525970397427656

• Good point, R82.

• I have only read a German article about this so far but apparently there is some talk about these two Russian players after they posted several photos from their holiday in Miami that look more like couple photos than just friendly ones:

  http://autumnshady.tumblr.com/post/37813078974/on-holiday-in-miami-kokos-instaliga-pavels

• This is the article which has an additional photo

  http://www.queer.de/bild-des-tages.php%3Feinzel%3D238

• Guys, this is actually true: The Swedish Language Academy has approved the term "Zlataning."

• My God! I can only imagine what "zlataning" is. A kick to the back?

• R88, lol, good one.

• Wonder what Zlatan thinks of this? Piqué has just tweeted news of the birth of his son.

• Yep, R85. I think we can agree that looking for chicks in Miami is not on their agenda!

• Can we have bets on the baby's name? Jordi? Joan? Francesc? Xavier? Zlatan?

  Pebret

• Well, guess what. Piqué has now deleted the tweet, and many are assuming it was a joke for Holy Innocents Day. It did come soon after midnight Barcelona time, and that's the day when April Fool type jokes are played over there.

  Always%20the%20prankster%2C%20eh%2C%20Gerard%3F

• I was wondering about Santos Inocentes when I read that, but it's the 28th and Shakira was only visible a couple of months ago, right? Marca should REALLY take advantage of the day tomorrow (I guess it's today for you guys, the 28th, no?) and run a headline: "Mou fired, Pep hired!" It would be the undoing of many a psyche. Who besides Iker and Ramos are the black sheep troika? I know that Ozil has been accused of enjoying too many a night out and he seems to have enjoyed a friendship with Ramos (he even inspired the new haircut). Is it Alonso?. He appeared to be unhappily shocked when he got subbed in Malaga.

• After making a prank about being a father, today, Pique is at a basketball match. With Pedret.

• Woah, the Russian guys are extremely coupley. Kind of hard to make out what's going on though with google translate. Apparently the caption for this is 'Apology accepted'. Doesn't exactly seem like something between friends.

  http://instagram.com/p/ThNwnJhE5G/

• Some clued-in person just tweeted: Offside Barcelona ‏@BarcaTheOffside #LifeWithoutBarca is like Zlatan without Maxwell.

• [quote]Marca should REALLY take advantage of the day tomorrow (I guess it's today for you guys, the 28th, no?) and run a headline: "Mou fired, Pep hired!" It would be the undoing of many a psyche. Actually, a comparable head-spinner appeared in Barcelona. It was announced that Mou had been named manager of the Catalan National Team!

• Pique and his BFF Pedret at a basketball match two days ago.

  http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20121228/mundo-barsa/pique-vibra-barca-regal-fenerbahce_54356692079.html

• R96, here is another article with a picture of them in the bathtub (Mamaev is not actually visible, just his legs)

  http://gayoesterreich.at/eu-europa/eu-a-europa-news/russland/4017-pawel-mamajew-alexander-kokorin-schwul-bilder-urlaub.html

• Lets see how long it takes for them to get girlfriends

  http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/12/31/gay-rumors-russian-soccer-players-alexander-kokorin-pavel-mamaev/

• Boy, Piqué's Pedret is a pretty as ever!

• Pique has had no trouble moving on. Has Zlatan had any other rumored male lovers.

• Dani De Gea watch your back. European soccer is a notorious hotbed of homophobia, but one key player believes it’s time the sport welcomes a “gay hero.” Manchester United goalie Anders Lindegaard criticized the sport’s anti-gay stigma and said the time is right for a player to come out as openly gay. The Danish native blogged last week that homosexuality in football is a “taboo topic.” “The problem for me is that a lot of football fans are stuck in a time of intolerance that does not deserve to be compared with modern society’s development in the last decades,” Lindegaard wrote. “While the rest of the world has been more liberal, civilised and less prejudiced, the world of football remains stuck in the past when it comes to tolerance.” The post came from a discussion with his girlfriend, supermodel Misse Beqiri, who noted that her industry is very liberal and sexually open-minded. Lindegaard noted the discrepancy from a 1997 survey that 12 percent of Danish men claimed to be gay to the present, where no members of the 1,000-strong Danish Players’ Association have come out. The heavily masculine notion that football is often perceived with is not welcoming to a gay player. “To turn a blind eye only indicates that one is not recognising that there is a problem,” Lindegaard posted. “Of course there is a problem if young homosexuals, who love football, have to quit the sport because they feel excluded.” He went on to say that discrimination is “totally unacceptable, whatever it is about religion, sexuality, etc.” Lindegaard isn’t the first pro athlete to tackle homophobia this year. In the United States, players from several professional sport leagues are echoing Lindegaard’s sentiment, most notably Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe , who’s become one of the NFL’s most vocal gay-marriage supporters.

  http://www.dailydot.com/news/manchester-united-anders-lindegaard-gay-hero/

• 12 percent of Danish men gay? Beulah, fetch my passport!

• OMG ''Shakira already knows that Pique likes men, but she accepts it''

  http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5184/91946715.jpg

• Is that the ultimate vindication? Love it! Which publication is this, R106? Are fangirl heads everywhere exploding (as opposed to their ovaries). I've read somewhere that Cesc got the cougar Daniela Seaman pregnant. Or at least that she's expecting, too.

• [quote]a 1997 survey that 12 percent of Danish men claimed to be gay to the present To the present? I presume that means 12% are currently gay (and even more have had gay sex at some time)? Interesting, though it probably says more about Danish attitudes about sex than homosexuality being more common in Denmark than elsewhere.

• [R107] Piquira fangirls are deep in denial. They believe that Pique and Shakira are the greatest couple ever.

• And Leo Messi won the Golden Ball again. Pique was also in Zurich without the pregnant beard.

• Pep's also in Zurich. He told reporters he'd be ready to coach next season. Four in a row... How much more definitive than that can you get?

• Torres on Segio, translated from 'Sergio Ramos – Corazón, Carácter y Pasión': [quote]Before the World Cup in Germany, we had another altercation during a free day. All of a sudden, he came towards me, grabbed my shirt and backed me up against the wall. He thought I had played a dirty trick on him. I swore and I swore that I had not done anything. He took me to his room. Someone had left him a “little gift” on the minibar. We went to my room and I had received the same “gift.” We figured that someone else had done it. That’s why I always liked to be his ally, next to him, so he won’t trick me. But he doesn’t have any wickedness, and he always knows who he can play jokes on and who he can’t. [quote]I would always want Sergio on my team. He’s never going to leave you hanging or disappoint you. If Madrid doesn’t want him, I know where he can go…

  http://conlaroja.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/la-roja-teammates-on-sergio-ramos-i/%23more-11175

  Wonder%20what%20the%20%27gift%27%20was%3F

• I seems pretty clear that Shakira wanted some good genes to give her a baby, and the young Piqué -- not looking to marry a woman for love -- has had a kick out of being father to her baby and running around with her (when not with one or another of his boyfriends). Of course his Barça and NT team mates know all about it. Iker was all over him in Zurich this week. One of several such pics:

  https://twitpic.com/btmr74

• I figure they were turds, R112. I'm not kidding you.

• Shakira really looks like this and from what people are saying in her boards, she just wanted a 'blue eyes baby''.

  http://foro.univision.com/t5/Shakira/esta-es-la-shakira-real/td-p/459260541

• Interesting, R115. So, while all the gay footballers want in Gerard's jeans, Shakira just wants his genes.

• It has been leaked that Shakira got pregnant through IVF in vitro fertilization, at Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona.

• It's funny the posters at the Univision forum are accusing her switching her accents around depending on who she's dating like Madonna. (from Argentine to Castillian). They don't like that she's chosen a white boy to mate with. I don't know if she's attempting the accent switching, but good luck to her. As a Castillian speaker there's no way in hell I could believably and consistently change my accent to Columbian Spanish. I'd look like a fool even though I grew up in the U.S. exposed only to Mexican or S/Central American accents. It's *hard*.

• New Marca survey results. MADRID, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Almost two-thirds of Real Madrid's members believe coach Jose Mourinho has a negative impact on the La Liga club's image, according to a survey published in Marca sports daily on Wednesday. Among 704 members asked at the stadium before Sunday's game at home to Real Sociedad, or by telephone, whether the Portuguese's actions and statements were damaging, 61.6 percent answered yes, with 33.1 percent saying no, Marca said. Members gave his performance as coach since he took over in 2010 an average mark of 6.68 out of 10, down from 8.82 in a similar poll conducted in March 2011, but 54.4 percent still thought he should stay on after this season, with 41.8 percent saying he should leave, they added. The survey, by polling company Sigma Dos, is the latest evidence that all is not well at Real, who are 16 points behind arch rivals Barcelona in La Liga and facing a possible exit from the King's Cup at home to Celta Vigo later on Wednesday. It will also make painful reading for president Florentino Perez, who is up for re-election this year and has given Mourinho unprecedented powers in the hope he can lead the club to regular silverware in domestic and European competition. Mourinho's combative style and regular insinuations of bias against his teams are seen as unsporting by many and at odds with what Real regards as its traditional image of a gentlemanly club that is gracious in victory and defeat. He has come under fire recently for relegating hugely popular goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas to the bench amid reports of dressing-room rifts between Spanish and Portuguese contingents in the squad. Real need to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Celta in Wednesday's Cup last-16 second leg at the Bernabeu if they are to secure a quarter-final meeting with Valencia.

  http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-majority-real-members-mourinho-bad-image-115121293--sector.html

• Sergio Ramos hits milestone. At the tender age of 26, be became the most red carded player in Madrid history with 15 cards! Jesus! Comes at price with a five match ban. Two in CDR and three in La Liga. Did he really think he could get away with this? And Madrid were 3-1 on aggregate by that point. [quote]"As soon as he was shown the second yellow card Real Madrid's number four, Sergio Ramos Garcia, addressed my person in the following terms: 'You are a shameless scoundrel (sinverguenza),' repeating that phrase three times and saying 'you have spent the whole f**ing day f***ing us', repeating that phrase twice," the report said. "Later, when he arrived at the bench, he addressed the assistant referee in the following terms: 'Always the same, what shameless scoundrels you are', repeating this phrase twice."

  http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1294563/real-madrid%27s-ramos-handed-five-match-ban%3Fcc%3D5901

• So Pep is off to Munich in the summer. I bet we can guess where Manel will be moving, no?

• What did I tell you? Manel to Munich: "It's expected that Guardiola's right-hand man Estiarte and physical coach Buenaventura, who left Barcelona last year, will join Bayern." [md]

• A boy and his beard.

  http://dlisted.com/2013/01/16/open-post-hosted-shakira-shakiras-bump-piqu%C3%A9-and-piqu%C3%A9s-nipple

  Io%2C%20Ibra

• This move makes Pep's relationship with Manel all the more interesting to me. I understand when coaches take their trainers and physios with them so they can be a cohesive training unit with the same philosophy. But Estiarte was Barca's director of external relations and served as an official spokesman for the club, not just the football team. Anyway, AFAIK he only speaks Spanish, Catalan and Italian. Whatever role he's supposed to fill beyond being Pep's "friend" and adviser in Germany should be interesting. Director of External Relations for Romance Language Countries? I know that he lived in Italy at the time that Pep was at Brescia and had the nadrolene accusations leveled at him. (Estiarte's wife is Italian). Makes me wonder if he followed Pep to Qatar and Sinaloa, as well. Who would know this information? Javi Martinez must be thrilled. Poor Llorente must really be on the cusp of despair these days.

• Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Gerard Pique and Shakira, was born around 22:30 in Barcelona tonight, a product of artificial insemination.

• Which gossip mags have written about artificial insemination? That's kind of bold. Of course, they're going to say the kid was conceived in Milan. Victoria Beckham's probably annoyed she didn't think to name her kid after the fashion capital. Oh, god and those pregnancy pics are so awful. How exhibitionistic. I can't imagine this was his idea.

• Wow, R106. What magazine is that?

• Milan has already started advertising at the ripe age of two days.

  https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523084_437549822984156_565178767_n.jpg

• Jesus Christ, R128! I guess not that Van der Vaart and his wife are separating, the fame whore glamour vacuum is going to be filled by these two and their poor kid.

• Whoa! Guy's saying that Pep will feminize Munich's football. Though he means it as a compliment, still...

  http://m.ara.cat/esports/futbol/intellectual-alemany-larribada-Guardiola-Bayern-munic_0_853714784.html%20

• Oops. *now that Van der Vaart

• Torres is a ginger...who knew.

  http://25.media.tumblr.com/cc2f289245e8fd97dd1578b0c79fc01e/tumblr_mhan5gQPcD1qcxcybo1_500.png

  Torres%20troll%20reconsidering%20Torres%20love...

• Terrible haircut.

• I like Torres with short hair. But the 2010 World Cup version. His hair was dark brown then. Who knew he was dying his blonde and brown? I guess he really didn't like being a ginger.

• Was he really a ginger? The ginger parts look like they're leftover blond on dark hair that was too close to the scalp to get the clippers. The blond is annoying; hair you can grab and play with isn't.

• R135, that's what I thought initially but you can see his hair in the back, which is cropped very close to the skull, is quite light too. I don't think Torres is a Mick Hucknall ginger but his recessive genes definitely show. He's naturally very pale and has a million freckles, tell-tale signs of a ginger. We won't know for sure until we see his hair grow out. Hopefully, he doesn't go back to bleaching any time soon. I hope he's a brunette but I think his natural color may be a honey brown with a red tinge. In any case, as long as he doesn't look like a tranny, I'll be happy.

• Rumored to be Pep's new assistant. Something tells me he'd be hot in bed.

  http://www.footballzz.com/img/treinadores/663/78663_ori_thomas_christiansen.jpg

• Weird. I've seen photos of Torres as a kid and I swear he had blond hair. Maybe he's now a strawberry blond - if that kind of colour change is even possible? Link to an obnoxious article about his hair colour.

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2269497/Fernando-Torres-reveals-ginger-hair-haircut.html

• Actually, I did a search for images of Torres with red hair, and a few not-quote-blond, not-quite-ginger popped up.

  http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff6/jojolucia/nandointerview-2.jpg

• I remember him with orange hair at Liverpool but I thought it was just the blonde dye job gone bad. It didn't occur to me that was his natural color!

• The photos of a kiddie Torres looking dirty or strawberry blonde. Then you see photos of him as a teen with brown hair. I thought he had the typical progression of going from blonde to brown as he grew up.

• Another sport, another gay:

  http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/the-craziest-way-for-an-athlete-to-get-outed

• Shakira is getting too possessive......

  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TV-0u3pb4Zg/UQiKdPNI5BI/AAAAAAAAWWM/gigi6T8y6eA/s1600/shakiraorgplexcgp.jpg

• "Getting"???

• YES!

  http://24.media.tumblr.com/378bb6c02e72c86107f1ad3bd195bd81/tumblr_mhcg1jO8Cy1rkji66o1_500.jpg

• Cesc is considering buying the house of former tennis no.1 Arantxa Sanchez, which is next to the house of Pique and Shakira. [lecturas via md] One just hopes that their beards get along.

• Sorry r143, but Shakira's boyfriend is NOT cute or attractive in any way. He doesn't look too bright either, and if I wanted to be mean, I'd say he looks "special". What's the deal? There are many better looking soccer players. I find Christiano Ronaldo very handsome. Do you think he's gay?

  http://img23.fansshare.com/celebrity/photos/801_cristiano-ronaldo-fans-359958826.jpg

• LOL, R147. New to these threads? We've often though he is gay and that Irina Shayk is a beard (acquired around the time of his son). And "special" as in "underperforms in intellectual tasks."

• Today is Shakira and Pique's birthday.......and Cesc has only mentioned Pique in his tweet,lol Supposedly the two 'couples' are very good friends with each other.

  https://twitter.com/cesc4official/status/297639953918197760

• Here's a pic of Shakira looking rough and haggard a couple of days ago at the cinema in Barcelona. Pique couldn't look more uninterested....

  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rlzq-DzY9Q/UQvMc6MNW1I/AAAAAAAAWZ8/z5PwpO1CNbM/s1600/BCBaijNCIAEK4L-.jpg

• What does this person mean?: [quote]You can see the tweets from @cesc4official to Pique are genuine. Not orchestrated in 3 different languages for the benefit of Twitter.

• I can't believe I missed this. Martin Samuels wrote that Joey Barton should become a gay hero and come out.

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2243241/Joey-Barton-footballs-gay-hero--Martin-Samuel.html%23axzz2JnDvQHXP

• And then he threatened to sue.

  http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/12/05/joey-barton-threatens-to-sue-daily-mail-over-gay-hero-article/

• R151, not sure what the person is talking about but Pique's tweets are often in three different languages: Catalan, Spanish and English.

• I guess the person was referring to the couple's tendency towards self-promotion. I'm not sure how I feel about their "baby shower."

  http://shakira.socialtoaster.com/

• Pique and Shakira want to be the new Beckhams. They are all over the media and some Spanish newspapers, webs and gossipers are saying that they ''are overexposing their baby from the beginning'' and that Pique loves this media circus.

  http://www.vanitatis.com/noticias/2013/02/04/la-sobreexposicion-de-milan-pique-22758/

• What a contrast to little Thiago, son of the best footballer in the world and quite likely in history. They're taking over for Van der Vaarts and the Beckhams. Big difference is that Shakira is coming into this with far more money and influence than the other two. I also think that she's even more of a self-promoter and exhibitionist than Victoria Beckham. It's going to be the Shakira Cup come 2014. Mark my words.

• Shakira and Pique virtual Baby shower has been a big flop. That's the reason they're leaking more and more pics.

  http://foro.univision.com/t5/Shakira/EL-BABY-SHOWER-UNICEF-HA-SIDO-TODO-UN-FLOP-SEGUN-MEDIOS/td-p/460501482/page/2

• How soon did they expect to raise $15 million? The baby's only been alive for a couple of weeks.

• I'm not really gonna slog through 10 threads to find what I'm looking for so..... Does anybody know anything about Javier Hernandez? The Mexa that plays for Man U? He's a total cutie.

• Ten threads? I don't think we've talked about him I don't know anything about him. His dad Chicarro was a professional player, hence the diminutive for his name. I don't know how Catholic he is, but he has a pre-game prayer ritual he does out on the pitch before matches. Man U. played the Rangers shortly after he was acquired and there was some hand-wringing as to whether he'd do this at Ibrox. I think they explained the situation to him.

• [quote]Pique and Shakira want to be the new Beckhams. In some interview Pique said he wants a modelling career like Beckham's.

• Sure he is trying it so hard but Pique isn't getting what he wants Mango has replaced Pique with Andres Velencoso for its new campaign.

  http://miarmariosinfondo.blogspot.com.es/2013/01/andres-velencoso-desbanca-pique-en-mango.html

• Was he dropped due to overexposure?

• Fame-whore Shakira took the baby with her yesterday to Nou Camp to see their 'papito' and then posted this pic on twitter. There are so many things wrong with this pic...

  http://www.shakira-argentina.com.ar/2013/02/la-primera-visita-de-milan-pique-al.html

• Everybody is bashing Shakira and Pique after this pic

  http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9836/ohnorx.jpg

• I find both of those pictures disturbing. The baby is the ultimate accessory, isn't it? I don't recall celebs displaying and parading a newborn so quickly. Within two weeks already that UNICEF site was up already. The first is disturbing because if the baby survives the potential car wreck in the second picture, it bodes badly for the poor little guy's future. He's a fucking accessory and PR tool even before Ivy Blue!!! Have there been pictures of Messi's baby?

• And she's driving through a crowd. I assume that they're followed by the paps regularly. Unless she has training as professional and a super-cool head, this situation is just begging for a disaster. I'm sure this could only incite the paps to follow them.

• Ok, he's a pretty shit footballer now, but I've always admired how Torres has kept his private life pretty well wrapped up. Yes, he does the corporate shilling, of course he does. That's millions in endorsements, but he's always kept it as business. He easily could have signed up for the paparazzi, reality show lifestyle and shilled out his family. Never has he sold photos of his kids and family. Got married in a city office without anyone knowing. The paps got a few far-away photos of his family walking to the church for his daughter's baptism. Not the actual baptism itself, just photos of them outside the church. So for his son's baptism, he hired security and shut the whole church down. Never seen a photo of the event. Not one. There were photos of him talking with a cop. It was reported he was ticketed for speeding. Turns out he actually flagged the cop down to report a pap was following him. Has zero interest in being a Twitter or Facebook star. Chelsea had to start a Twitter account for him to ensure imposters from taking his name. Over 600K followers. One tweet.

• I have to wonder what Pique's family thinks about this.

• El Mundo.-''Car Crash Victims Against Shakira and Pique''

  http://www.elmundo.es/elmundomotor/2013/02/14/conductores/1360864457.html

• Pro footballer comes out, retires:

  http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/02/16/getting-better-in-pro-sports-ctd/

• [quote]Man U. played the Rangers shortly after he was acquired and there was some hand-wringing as to whether he'd do this at Ibrox. I think they explained the situation to him.[/quote] Ha! I'd have loved to see that.

• Comes out....and retires... One more proof that no footballer will ever come out of the closet while he's still playing.

  Beard Shakira

• Well, this guy's career was definitely in decline due to injuries. He didn't have that many USMNT caps and the last one was about a year and half ago I'm not sure he would he have been picked up by another club after he left Leeds. I don't think the retirement is a result of being gay necessarily.

• Sure. That's the reason there are so many openly gay footballers all over the world...... [/irony]

  Pique and Zlatan

• Piqué's little brother celebrates snow in Barcelona:

  https://twitter.com/m_pique/status/305150072050573312/photo/1

• After al this time, Pique still defends Ibrahimovic and says that ''Ibra is a great person to talk and to play with''.

  http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/pique-ibrahimovic-balotelli-son-malos-tipos-2325681

• Torres and Silva after the Man City-Chelsea game today. I love the casual and tactile affection between the two.

  http://daviniatorres9.tumblr.com/post/43931520178/omg-i-love-to-have-a-video-or-a-photo-of-this

• Who would have expected Sid Lowe to have such nice legs?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DHIwCJEjhTRU%26feature%3Dshare%26list%3DUUEUJEQjN0Wn_0oiVMvOFHww

• These three should just film themselves having sex. I'd love to jump on Martin myself. (Here they talk about notorioius heterosexual Cristiano Ronaldo.)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DHrHdB82rI40%26list%3DUUEUJEQjN0Wn_0oiVMvOFHww

• Once again, Sid seems eager to show the leg. Never does this with trousers on:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYfWD0t-NZIs%26list%3DUUEUJEQjN0Wn_0oiVMvOFHww%26index%3D1

• The Guardian.- ''Barcelona Spying Scandal drags in Pique, Shakira and Politicians''. It seems that Guardiola didn't trust Pique...

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/26/barcelona-spy-agency-pique-shakira

• The "there's no evidence, so we deny it." Oh, Jesus. That's funny in a bad way. And now the "baby shower" is being called a success, just in time for her debut on NBC's The Voice. So how long is she going to be in LA?

  http://nbclatino.com/2013/02/25/shakira-gerard-pique-thank-fans-for-raising-food-supplies-through-unicef-baby-shower/

• Since i am too lazy to go through all the previous threads,would anyone be kind enough to tell me if Gerrard and Alonso's relationship has been discussed?

• I don't think so. Anything you want to mention?

• Nothing important R186 ,i was just curious if they've been discussed here because i always thought there could be more than close friends,like with Pique and Fabregas.

• Wasn't there some tension when Torres joined Liverpool because he also became buddies with Gerrard? For some reason, I recall hearing that.

• Yes that was the general rumor R188 I just find it rather odd that after 4 years Gerrard and Alonso are still so close (both were on holidays in dubai the summer,Alonso posted a photo of them) and Alonso always praises Liverpool(rumor has it he'd like to go back),more than he ever did with Real Madrid and Gerrard says he wants Alonso to return because he's the best he's ever played with and misses him and was close to tears when he left.I understand they had an amazing on field partnership and a great off field friendship but still it doesn't explain all this.

• I'm sure Shakira's cunty smooth aura will do many favors for her.

• Benitez finally had enough of the Chelsea fans' shit!

  http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0%2C26691%2C18305_8528401%2C00.html

• He's completely right.

• He is, I don't blame him a bit. Also, here's Joey Barton with the hot sports opinion that Ibra has a big nose.

  http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/gif-joey-barton-tells-zlatan-ibrahimovic-he-has-a-big-nose/

• R179, Torres looks so hot there. It's not always clear how tall he is until there are people around for comparison.

• Poor Rafa is so sensitive and reactive in general that he makes life difficult for himself by creating more drama than necessary. His buttons are pushed so easily (priest? sugar?). But the Chelsea fans are just too much. The contrast between Fernando and his national teammates makes him seem huge. He's 6 ft., but Silva, Xavi, Andres, Alba are all hovering around 5' 7". I cracked up when I read the stat that Spain had the shortest team at Euros '08 before the addition of the taller boys.

• Infidelities between Pique and ibra

  http://www.memedeportes.com/futbol/infidelidades-entre-ibra-y-pique#.UTDX3qHnNvo.twitter

• Benitez was never ever going to keep his mouth shut. He's never be able to, so why would he start now. Having said that, the Chelsea boo birds are a disgusting lot. There is displeasure with a managerial appointment and then there is outright slaughtering of one man. It's deplorable to witness. No one in a frigging sport deserves what Benitez has endured. They treat him as if he's a war criminal. The game tomorrow at Stamford Bridge is going to be very ugly. He's gotten the dreaded club backing so I expect him to fired any day now. That will cheer the Chelsea fans no end. They can be the farcical club with three managers in one season. They hate Benitez so much they can't even put up with him for another 3 months. He's already confirmed he's done in May but that's not enough for them. They want blood. Nothing would make me happier than to see Chelsea do a Leeds and drop out of the top level. Unfortunately, since they have an owner who has more money than God, they're going to be competitive as long as he is around. I hope Mourinho does return. He and Chelsea fans deserve each other. No doubt, they'll win one or two things, but it's Mourinho, so after a couple of years, he'll run out on them too. Or Abramovich will fire him. I hope Juan Mata leaves soon. He's much too nice and smart to play for such a classless club and set of fans.

• R194, Torres is not that tall, he's just always surrounded by really short people! Even his wife is really short and even in heels, she's noticeably shorter than he. I don't mind though, it makes him look great. Too bad, he's just completely done as a player. I know he's the quiet type, but I hope he doesn't disappear in private life when his career is finished (which looks to be soon...), I gotta have my Torres fix.

• [quote]I hope Juan Mata leaves soon. He's much too nice and smart to play for such a classless club and set of fans.[/quote] Yes, indeed. Right before Di Matteo was fired I read an interview with Mata in which he was talking about what a good manager "Robbie" was, Mata sounded like such a smart guy and it was a nice story. Then the next week poor RDM was sacked. Why don't the fans ever protest Roman? It's not uneard of, Blackburn are always bitching about Venky's.

• [quote]Real Madrid in free-fall Oh, time. Real Madrid has now thrashed Barcelona both home and away in the space of a week, knocking them out of the Kings Cup and, even though Barcelona will still win the league, coming out with bragging rights for winning the ties. Also, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to show up for the big occasions while Messi is but a shadow of his former self. Looks like Mourinho will, once again, leave on a high, but Barcelona might land Neymar afterall. I really don't like this Shakira sideshow, they're trying too hard and its still not working.

• [quote]''I really don't like this Shakira sideshow, they're trying too hard and its not working.'' [/quote] Especially because all the time, cameras catch Pique looking at other men like this.......

  http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/9339/crispique2.jpg

• I have to wait to watch a rebroadcast at midnight. I almost missed that the match was going to be played today (as opposed to mid/late April). I fully expected the usual kick-off time, but it was [italic]four hours earlier![/italic] (actually 6 for some years). What the hell? I assume it's for the Asian audience. I hope the game was boring

• In the eye of the storm What is it about Fernando and journalists? What is it about the media’s negativity when it comes to him and the audience’s eagerness to believe it all? I think Fernando has two fundamental problems. One has to do with the clubs he’s played for throughout his career. If he had played for either Real Madrid or Barcelona, he would be much more protected and loved by the press. That is essential to understand his situation. The other problem is that Fernando is… the way he is. There are other players, most players actually, who are much more media-friendly, who worry about establishing good, reciprocated relationships with certain high-end journalists. Those players are more than willing to do those “Fernando Torres takes us to his favorite places in London!” type of specials. But he doesn’t do that, he never has. He’s a very introverted guy, very cold in that sense, he doesn’t want to be photographed doing something other than playing football. He doesn’t want to be known for anything else but his job. So that has stopped him from cultivating important acquaintances and sympathies among the press. It has always been one of his main problems, Fernando is not easy. He is not an easy-going person at all. And I’m telling you, I adore him. But he isn’t an open, generous, accessible person who invites you to his home when you want to do an interview. He is not the kind of person who goes “You want to write a piece on me? But of course! Whatever you need, whenever you want to, I’m here and we’ll see it done! Where do you want me to have my pictures taken?”. He isn’t that kind of player, and it doesn’t do him any favours. But that’s the path he chosen to take, and there’s no going back from it because he’s still very much the person he has always been, no club or new city has changed that. There is no other way for him to go on about things. He’s chosen to be that way, it’s the way he wants to be, and the result of that has been of course, him having an honestly appalling relationship with the press, but it’s something he’s chosen freely, it’s his decision and I find that admirable.” - María José Navarro, Spanish journalist (“La Razón” and Cope).

  http://en-prosa.tumblr.com/post/44554435265/in-the-eye-of-the-storm-what-is-it-about-fernando

  What%20happens%20when%20you%27re%20not%20buddies%20w/press

• Cristiano and Pique love at The Clasico.

  http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9384/piquecris5.jpg

• He's probably wishing him luck against Man. Utd. I didn't realize Fernando is [italic]that[/italic] introverted to the point of being "cold." Is OTT on the journalists part?

• Perhaps it's a matter of translation? I think the journalist went a bit OTT to make a point--that Torres is exceptional in his decision to not cultivate media ties and favor, especially for someone at his fame level. And I'm sure it's all in the eye of the beholder. For this journalist, who is clearly fan, she admires Torres' stance. For the British press, they are all too happy to kick Torres now that he's down--payback for years of ignoring them. And I guess it's true in Spain too. Most in the press don't like to publicize that someone won't talk to them. That's why when a few over the last couple of years have mentioned in articles/twitter that Torres walks by and ignores the British press in the post-game mix zone--that's when I knew he really has an issue with them. And there would be payback. When he was scoring goals, it didn't matter so much or at all. Now his game is dead and without friends in the press, they're all too happy to cut you up. I do not deny Torres has been crap, but his treatment has been so extreme. It's like the press want to punish him not for just being a bad footballer, but for not buddying up to the press, for being rich, for the 50M price tag, for being handsome, for anything really. It's like they won't let up until he breaks down and begs for forgiveness. I know it's a first world problem, but it's really vicious.

• This likely means when Torres is done with football, he'll disappear from public life. I can't imagine he'll turn into a pundit. He'd probably sooner eat glass than become a talking head. And he doesn't seem like manager material.

  Torres%20troll%20preparing%20for%20Torres-free%20future

• Would you happen to have the text in Spanish, R206? I'm curious about it.

• The whole interview is from the Kid Torres blog. They snagged an interview with a journalist who is an Atletico fan so it's a long piece on Atletico Madrid and Torres. It's pretty cool for a fan site.

  http://www.thekidtorres.com/2013/03/entrevista-maria-jose-navarro_4.html

• Additional translation of the journalist's (Maria Jose Navarro) interview about Atletico/Torres. Do you remember the first time you saw him? The moment he became “the man of your life” as you've called him before? I do. I remember watching him at the Calderón all those afternoons, every single one of them. I remember us being in the second division, and him having to carry the team solely on his shoulders… so young, so inexperienced. To have such an immense responsibility and to do it so well at that age… I don’t know, I guess it lead me to feel unspeakable amounts of sympathy towards him. He was doing it all on his own, he was making us better on his own, and I knew he was thinking the same thing we (the fans) were thinking, seeing himself surrounded by those insufferable idiots but still managing to keep it together… his face beaming with pride for that shirt, for that team he loved. You could see it in his face, you could see him and see yourself in him. He felt what we felt and he thought what we thought. That’s when I realized, “He’s one of my own!”. He got under my skin in such a deep, genuine way, and he became my brother. That’s the way I see him, as a little brother. It’s something I can’t quite explain and I certainly couldn’t help it from happening. It’s the feeling I get when I applaud him and cheer him on when he’s not doing well, when I see him suffer, when I see him get better, when I see him full of faith and desire… When I see him upset, and trying again, and getting angry at his teammates and at himself… (see? I’m telling you this and I’m getting chills). What is there not to be thankful for? He gave me so many afternoons full of pride and love, full of the great satisfaction of finally being able to say “at least here’s someone that feels the way I feel”. What is there not to be thankful for? In a way, he’s always been… there. I’ve only seen him face to face once, but I felt… I felt that there was something that bound us together, that bound me together with that little boy, and later with that great, great man. And it’s true, he went from being just a “kid” to a man that ended up saving our dignity and giving it back to us, and there’s no way we could ever repay him for that. It’s a life debt. Do you suffer when you see him struggling or having a rough patch? It’s the worst. It’s so bad that I sometimes can’t even watch him play, because I can’t take it, because the pain it causes me is too much. Because he is not just a player. I see him as part of my family, and I’m telling you, I can’t quite explain it but that’s the way I feel. I suffer a lot and I have a really hard time when I see him go through those rough patches, and since he moved to Chelsea it’s gotten worse, twice as worse than it was before. And in the national team… I believe he gets treated unfairly most of the time. He has always been treated unfairly and he’s always been compared with players that are not even good enough to lace up his boots. But everything he does is scrutinized and over-analyzed, perhaps because he doesn’t have those “protectors” or those “bodyguards” we were talking about earlier. He doesn’t have any of those helpful acquaintances to help him save face from time to time. He doesn’t have them and he never has. He puts up with it all by himself, and will keep on doing it.

  http://en-prosa.tumblr.com/post/44599652482/do-you-remember-the-first-time-you-saw-him-the

  It%20has%20to%20be%20said...MARY%21%20or%20MARIA%21

• What do you make of that 0-6 at the Calderón that made Fernando take the decision of leaving for good? How did you feel then? I think that we all took part in creating such a disaster that one time. I won’t solely blame the fans and the stadium goers, but we all took part in it. Many Atlético fans were mislead by what the press was saying, and suddenly, without being too conscious of it, there we were, making the same jokes they were making about us “letting” Barcelona win so Madrid wouldn’t win the league. Actual Atleti fans took part in that sabotage, they were active participants in bringing their own team down. That is simply unforgivable. And I think that’s the main reason why Fernando decided to say “that’s it”. He was the only one with dignity and self-respect left, the only one who stood up and went “no one will be making a fool out of me anymore”. You know, in the end we call argue about Fernando Torres all we want, but there are things, certain things about him that are simply indisputable, some have to do with football and some don’t. Some have to do with his values and his moral codes, which are implacable and unbreakable. They have always been. Do you thing people respect Fernando and value all what he’s accomplished? No. Of course not. But I think that’s… it’s almost part of who he is as a person, as if that aspect of his life was part of his genetic code, to not be recognized and respected for his accomplishments. It’s something that hunts him down and it’s restless and it won’t stop until it destroys him completely. But he owns up to it and assumes his burden with the greatest dignity. He assumes without complaining. He never complains. - María José Navarro, Spanish journalist (“La Razón” and Cope) (x).

• I never get tired of those pics, R204. They're beautiful. Is there a video clip somewhere? Or gifs?

• Pique and CR7 make a hot couple. But I still miss Zlatan. I wonder if Pique does?

• Very recently, Pique has praised Zlatan in an interview in Sport. He says that ''Zlatan is a good man''. And Sport also says that ''Pique and Ibrahimovic have a great relationship''.

  http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/pique-ibrahimovic-balotelli-son-malos-tipos-2325681

• Meanwhile, Pique looks miserable with Shakira and the baby. In fact, both look miserable and sad. March, 7 Barcelona

  http://www.shakira-argentina.com.ar/2013/03/fotos-hq-shakira-gerard-y-milan.html

• She looks unhappy and only seems to half smile when she looks in the carriage. He looks indifferent. Like they've just had a disagreement. We've discussed this here before, but poor, poor Geri has no ass whatsoever. It's often a footballers best feature.

  http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j34vICyJj-Q/UTn8GTBz5vI/AAAAAAAASso/Scidrsa0Mp8/s1600/10.jpg

• Shakira looks sad in those pics. They should end this charade in the next weeks when Shakira travels to EEUU to join The Voice.

• That's just such a weird arrangement for a new family. You'd think they (she more so) would want to "nest" for little while with a new infant, yet she's off to L.A. for some pathetic talent show. Sure, she'll travel back and forth, blah, blah. But that's a huge strain. She's richer than god as it is and known worldwide. Is her career in such skids that she needs to do this?

• Poor little Bojan on the bench for Milan. I wonder if he still blames Pep for the state of is career.

• R218 I totally agree with you. It's a weird arrangement and I don't understand why Shakira would want to separate from Pique so early. She doesn't need to work. I have the feeling that Pique is counting the days left to go back to his lifestyle with Pedret and company....

• Why couldn't Messi have been the new pope?

• Poor Fernando dropped for the qualifiers against France and Finland.

• Sadly, I think Torres' time with the national team is finished. Aside from the fact he's been shit for so long, Del Bosque is fully on board with the false #9 formation. He only selects 2 outright strikers now. He's not going to drop Villa and seems to love Negredo. So even if Torres returns to some form, I think he would find it hard to return. The only way is he is really awesome again. And based on the last 3 years, that ain't going to happen. The poor also got kicked in the face and now has a broken nose. So he finally scored this week but may miss tomorrow's game. Apparently he was in Milan today, getting a mask fitted. Chelsea only 2 strikers and they both have broken noses! Anyhoo, no matter. Torres still looking hot. Apparently this is a photo of him in Milan. Looking surprisingly stylish. He's usually in hoodies, jeans and sneakers. And his hair is growing out and yep, still a redhead.

  http://24.media.tumblr.com/021009a665203a7c601286d6a083086d/tumblr_mjrwekCXCl1qftb6ko1_500.jpg

  Torres%27%20a%20ginger%21

• R223 here, apologies for skipping about 17 needed words in that post!

• Yeesh, his broken nose bleed quite a bit. I couldn't believe he missed the penalty after actually scored again.

  http://www.soccertransfers.net/torres-bloody-hero-chelsea/

• Pep meets his former teammate Baggio and he's packing at 5:05.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5sI_bO1khus

• This is not photoshop...Ramos tweeting today.

  http://gfsports.tumblr.com/post/45830628509%23notes

• Catalan TV show, Arucitys about Shakira and Pique's phony kisses in front of the cameras. They say that Pique whispered to Shakira ''besito, besito'' before they kissed and that Shakira grabbed Pique to kiss him every time she saw a camera. It happened last Thursday at the presentation of Pique's father new book titled ''Falses Appearances''. Not joking. Min 31

  http://www.arucitys.com/#!dilluns-18-03-13/c1vqr

• Tee hee. Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho’s words have caught up with him, but this time it can be attributed to social media, who have managed to dredge up an interview from 1996, where the Portuguese boss praises Barcelona and his time at the club. In an interview with Catalunya-based sports daily, Mundo Deportivo’s October 6th, 1996 edition, Mourinho’s views were far different than they are now, with the current Blancos coach praising Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and other aspects of the Blaugrana. In the interview, [bold]Mourinho admitted that he could not see himself as Barca’s first team manager, and realizes that after being on Barcelona’s bench (as an assistant and translator for then manager, Sir Bobby Robson) that it was all “downhill” from there.[/bold] Mourinho went on to describe himself as, [bold]“ambitious, organized, and the worst loser in the world,” going on to state that “In a match, I wouldn’t hesitate to kick my own father.”[/bold] The Portuguese boss went on to admit that he “admired” Johan Cruyff (who has been very critical of Mourinho in his time at Real Madrid), while praising former Barcelona rival manager, Pep Guardiola, who as a defensive midfielder “with the ball, Guardiola is the best in the world.” The interview concludes by Mourinho stating that he has not fought with any players, “not one.” NOT YET, MOU!

  http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/mourinho-in-1996-after-being-on-barcas-bench-its-all-downhill/

• The birthday greetings continue.

  http://instagram.com/p/XGL-6vECEW/

• R227 - love it!

• "The shadow of his absence is the cause of his teammates' unhappiness" Quiet. Discreet. Shy. Fernando Torres’ reserved persona has been interpreted by the media as him having a secondary role in the team’s dynamics. They have branded him as “indifferent”, sometimes mistakenly, other times downright maliciously. In actual fact, the perception that most people have of him holds very few similarities with his actual character. His presence was of utmost importance for the team’s success in the 2008 Eurocup, the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Eurocup. Needless to say, these accomplishments, one right after the other, were unmatched and extraordinary, but the team nearly fell apart as a result of the bitterness and resentment that the most recent Clásicos had caused among the Real Madrid and Barcelona players. Eventually, the friendships forged over time and the coming together of the team managed to prevent a catastrophe from happening. The well-being of the national team ended up being nearly everyone’s first priority. They put their personal interests aside and agreed that La Selección was simply untouchable. And Fernado Torres, with his usual carefulness and prudence, played an essential role in all of this. He became one of the pillars that ensured Spain’s happiness and good atmosphere. And perhaps it’s because of this reason that his teammates are currently missing his calm and comforting presence in the dressing room. At the moment, and for the second time in a row, Fernando is not a part of the group. This is after all Vicente Del Bosque’s decision. He considers that Fernando is not “well” at the moment, and has qualified him as “inconsistent” and “unreliable”, but he knows very well that his decision has upset and saddened his players greatly, as they consider Fernando to be an integral part of the group. Sergio Ramos’ gesture of wishing El Niño a happy 29th birthday by kissing a picture of him and posting it on Twitter speaks volumes of just how much Fernando is loved in La Roja. And of course there’s also his friend Juan Mata, who doesn’t hide the fact that he misses him terribly. The same goes for his new Chelsea teammate César Azipilicueta, who regrets not having the chance to share these special moments with Fernando. Ask anyone in the team about Fernando and they will look upset, saddened. By the looks of it, La Roja will have to learn to live without Torres. They will have to move on, as it’s highly unlikely that Del Bosque will consider calling him back anytime soon. He’s simply fallen off his radar; he’s stopped taking him into account. But nothing in football is ever certain or everlasting, and there is a possibility that if Fernando does the right things and keeps scoring goals, he’ll make Del Bosque (who at least has a reputation of being just and reasonable), change his mind. However, to his beloved teammates’ despair, it does seem like his absence could last quite a while. All that said, it is simply unisputable that he’s been an active and decisive factor in Spain’s success. His goal against Germany in 2008 ended once and for all with the fatalism that had plagued the country for decades, and opened the door to a new era of splendor and glory for our football. And a World Cup and another European title later, we’re still standing tall. He will always have the honor of being The Hero of Vienna. - Carlos M. Sánchez, Spanish journalist (“El Confidencial”).

  http://en-prosa.tumblr.com/post/45981169724/the-shadow-of-his-absence-is-the-cause-of-his

  Spain%201-Finland%201

• Great interview with Robbie Rogers.

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/29/robbie-rogers-coming-out-gay%23show-all

• What do you think about Abramovich Jnr?

  http://www.timenews24.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/%u0410%u0440%u043A%u0430%u0434%u0438%u0439-%u0410%u0431%u0440%u0430%u043C%u043E%u0432%u0438%u0447-1.jpg

• What do you think about Abramovich Jnr?

  http://www.timenews24.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/%u0410%u0440%u043A%u0430%u0434%u0438%u0439-%u0410%u0431%u0440%u0430%u043C%u043E%u0432%u0438%u0447-1.jpg

• What do you think about Abramovich Jnr?

  http://img.lady.ru/data/aphoto/e/d/9/63721/main/76c9ab2f202853560bb4f6cb336124ef.jpg

• Aww. Maxwell came out and hugged the entire Barca lineup.

• Piqué just fouled Zlatan, helped him up. But no eye-contact from Zlatan.

• BREAKING: Maxwell is as gorgeous as ever.

• R204, is it really love -- or just sex?

• R216, I bet it looks fine without pants draped over it, though.

• Have you seen the smiles between Pique and Zlatan in tonight's match? Very sweet. People on twitter are talking about it.

  I WANT THE VID

• Another hole in the defense. Mascherano out for six weeks with knee ligament damage. And Messi possibly out for two with a strain...

• It's clear that Pique missed Ibrahimovic so much........

  http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5869/ibraque12.jpg

• Well, R244, you can't blame Pique. I can only imagine how he's missed Zlatan's equine cock.

• not that many pictures...oh well

  http://25.media.tumblr.com/d34dc2ef65104110f44cb65a10ee64f2/tumblr_mknkc7WFRk1r3kdsdo1_400.jpg

• R246 LOL, Pique is squeezing Ibra's bum in that pic. And now that Shakira is leaving Barcelona........

• This pic Ibra-Pique from last night's match is hilarious too.

  http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/155/ibraque3.jpg

• Was there any more photoshopping beyond the thought bubble?

• Dortmundd Mario Gotzes pissing pic makes headlines in Spain

  http://estaticos.marca.com/imagenes/2013/04/03/futbol/liga_campeones/1364998156_extras_portadilla_0.jpg

• R249 No. Here's the Ibra/pìque picture again.

  http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/4166/ibraque55.jpg

• And a little gif from one of the smile moments between Ibra and Pique.

  http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/3577/ibraque49.gif

• Addidas and Chelsea turning up the homoerotica factor to sell a few shirts. It was a gay, gay man who thought this up right?

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2304607/Chelseas-stars-splattered-blue-paint-adidas-kit-advert.html%3FITO%3D1490%26ns_mchannel%3Drss%26ns_campaign%3D1490%26utm_source%3Dtwitterfeed%26utm_medium%3Dtwitter

• Torres should just forget football and go straight into modeling.

  http://gfsports.tumblr.com/image/47210859798

  Too%20bad%20about%20the%20spandex%20shorts

• I like how Cech wore his helmet even for this. And I feel dirty for seeing Oscar practically naked, he looks much younger than his age.

• R255, wearing his headgear was genius. That made me laugh. I agree, Oscar looks out of place in this ad. I think leaving Torres out of the ad campaign would be controversial and would have confirmed his long-rumored departure from Chelsea this summer. Still, I think it's a bit dodgy to have him front and center of a ad campaign to sell shirts when there's a good chance he won't even be around next season.

• Torres scored a brace in the 3-1 Europa League quarter-final first-leg win over Rubin Kazan on Thursday night — taking his tally for this season to 19 goals. His poor form for Chelsea meant he lost his place in Vicente Del Bosque’s Spain squad. But Torres vowed to fight to get back in the fold ahead of next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The Blues star added: “I hope to be able to return to the national team. “The first step is to do well at my club and that will give me more options of returning. “I want to do well in order to return. We have a lot to win and many joys to give people and many tournaments to play with this generation. “Of course getting back in to the national team is one of my objectives.”

  http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4875508/Fernando-Torres-Ill-stay-until-2016-and-prove-critics-wrong.html

  the%20photos%20in%20blue%20paint%20are%20so%20spectacular%20...

• Big blue men...yikes

• Italian media getting quite excited about Gerard Pique pinching Zlatan Ibrahimovic's bum. From Corriere dello Sport.

  http://www.corrieredellosport.it/calcio/fuori_dal_campo/2013/04/05-316469/Ibra-Piquè, atto secondo. E sul web è ancora ironia?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

• In memory of Thatcher.

  https://twitter.com/EvertonArentWe/status/321237212769431552/photo/1

• I just saw a video where the footballer celebrating his goal by taking off his shorts. Actually I believe this is encouraged since they don't allow players to take off their shirts for celebration.

• R261, would it kill you to give us the link?

• And people wonder why bearding still works... This thread in a GAY gossip board, is the proof. Since Pique is with Shakira and had a baby, this thread is dead. Although Shakira has moved to USA and there are some interesting Ibra/Pique pics that remind me of old times..

  http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2205/ibraque67.jpg

• Pique: "Now that I'm a father, I can't come and watch basketball that often anymore, but the family is in LA, so I take the chance now."

  Pedret

• A too happy Zlatan last night at the Camp Nou after the match. min 26 10''

  http://www.cuatro.com/deportes/programas-completos/deportes-mediodia/Deportes-Cuatro-integro_2_1586580147.html

• Shakira, heavily made up and shilling the newborn in LA on that Voice show.

  https://twitter.com/barcastuff/status/322562285467996161

• Some of us may read between some lines in this Piqué interview:

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/barcelona/9983183/Barcelona-v-PSG-Barca-philosophy-leads-the-way-says-Gerard-Pique-ahead-of-Champions-League-clash.html

• there's nothing special in that interview

• R266 Many people don't believe that Pique is the father...lol

  http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/1129/milanzps2cb8077b.jpg

• You just never know what to expect from Zlatan: "Barça is probably the best team in history."

  http://www.ara.cat/esports/Ibrahimovic-PSG-Lliga_de_Campions-Barca_0_893310795.html

• Excuse me, R268, that Piqué, THE TELEGRAPH, and I misjudged what was worth your reading.

• Sorry, [R271] that's not what I meant to apply. I'm wondering what can one read "between the lines" to [R267], because the interview seems very straightforward for me

• Actually, it was an interesting interview in that sports journalists usually loathe to ask personal questions and Balague really pushed it. Whatever he was trying to get at, who knows. Maybe he's privy to gossip and wanted to needle him. Pique's response about how do an architect and a doctor do it comes off as rather silly, as does Balague's question about whether he'd try his hand at writing lyrics.

• Does anyone here believes that Shakira is a beard? Why would she? And going as far as having a baby? Wouldn't it be taking the beard ordeal too far? (yes, I know it's not impossible)

• - Shakira's career was dead. - Thanks to this ''relationship'', she is everywhere now. - And of course, Pique is ''straight'' and has got contracts as a model. - The 'relationship' with Shakira started just right after The Pic with Zlatan was taken in that carpak. - and after Pique was caught in an intimate moment with another guy in Ibiza in July 2010. - In August 2010, FC Barcelona signed a deal with Shakira foundation. - Shakira desperately wanted to become a mother. - everytime Shakira leaves Barcelona, Pique goes back to his usual lifestyle.

• It's hard to know exactly what's going on there except that there are clear PR motives for her. Him? Who knows if he's bi and needed a reprieve from the Zlatan and other rumors or if he got pressure from the club. Remember that Shakira and FC Barcelone share the same Hollywood agents, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). She has promotional associations with the club, as well. It's ironic that he talks about learning to accept the paps because it's the life he's chosen. True, in a sense, but she comes across as the bigger fame whore. She's the one who milked the relationship on any media she can find: posing for and sending out partially naked pregnancy pictures of herself (a la Demi Moore) and then with a topless Pique, the UNICEF "baby shower," throwing gang signs for a camera at Camp Nou as she has the baby in a snuggly, and proudly displaying the kid on the Voice. You'd think a new family/mother with lots of resources might like to take a little bit of time off. In the early pap pictures, she was always very aware of the camera and smiled for it while he seemed uncomfortable. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if she had her brother call them out to the restaurants they were going to early on. I never followed Shakira's career. Was it waning around the time they met? She'd gotten the Waka Waka song (despite having many wonderful native S. African musicians to choose from). Sure, it's mutually beneficial on many levels, but the way she's publicizing herself and pushing the relationship and shilling the baby makes one wonder.

• love this pic

  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QTYe56m2Fx4/UVynJmJlfEI/AAAAAAAAgzU/S3pLXfHQ4Sg/s1600/Ibrahimovic-e-Piqu%C3%A9-PSG-Barcelona.jpg

• Years ago, when it first came out, Piqué was raving about that movie of THE NOTEBOOK. So I watched it last night. It's a fucking chick flick mostly focused on Ryan Gosling. Hmm. A pal said "Piqué either wanted to BE Gosling or HAVE Gosling. I don't think there's much in-between on Gosling."

• It wasn't just Pique who liked "The Notebook.' I thought more than one of them chose this swampy movie.

• LOL. Pique's shaved his head. Looks terrible!

• Wow, Pique is having one crappy match.

• Horrid game for him. Just three years ago the scoreline was reversed at Allianz when Barca steamrolled Klinsmann's team

• Oops. It was at Camp Nou, not Allianz.

• Love to watch Barca get spanked!

• Did y'all see Civelli kissing Zlatan on the neck during last weeks match? lol might explain why Pique is having such a crappy match, He be jealous :)

• !

  http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff506/lunavital/tumblr_mlmiewVKdG1rwkiqio1_500.jpg

• gif of the incident

  http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff506/lunavital/kiss2.gif

• R285 Here's the clip of Civelli kissing Ibra's neck. Zlatan's face is priceless and he looks more relaxed about theses gay ''incidents'' than in the past.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdHQmPbcpyQ

• R288 Are you kidding? I thought Zlatan looked quite annoyed and roughly shoved Civelli away. What was the context of the kiss?Was Civelli being aaffectionate or having a little joke?

• No. I'm not kidding. Everybody agrees that after the kiss, Zlatan has a mischievous smile on his face. In the past, he would have kicked the other guy.

  http://www.acirdeportes.mx/cmai/videos/videos-deportivos/item/11867-

• Piqué's new look:

  http://twitpic.com/clh9kn

• OK R290 I did see a smile. I'd seen a different edit which made seem Zlatan was pissed off.

• Gay jokes on Beckham, Ibrahimovic, Ancelloti and oter PSG footballers. See their reactions in this clip.

  http://www.acirdeportes.mx/cmai/videos/videos-deportivos/item/11760-video-broma-gay-a-beckham-e-ibrahimovic.html

• Shakira and Pique photo op at Barca basketball game today. She's looking right at the cameras. Why have they cut off Pedret from the pics???

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2315002/Gerard-Pique-Shakira-basketball.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

• His brother Marc is getting really tubby.

• Bale.

  http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000P.dAFWJjNVQ/s/2150/I0000P.dAFWJjNVQ.jpg

• Pedret at the basquetball game with Shakira and Pique yesterday.

  http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/4228/pedret46.jpg

• Barca fans have said 'enough is enough' after Shakira and Pique showmance at the Palau yesterday.

  http://www.sport.es/es/galerias/baloncesto/20130425/shakira-pique-palau-blaugrana/45812.shtml

• That was a massively stupid move on Pique's part to show up at the basketball game with her after playing such a big part in the debacle just two days prior. Really bad PR move. He should have stayed home and made an attempt to appear contrite somehow. The fans hear the message that he doesn't care. It's interesting that for someone who was almost a turbo twitter user and engaged fans with contests etc., he's reduced the output to a near trickle even when Shakira was in LA. Contrast Fabregas, who also has a much gossiped about romance and new baby, and he's doing frequent tweets in three languages. Even injured Puyol communicates more.

• Amusing that Sport deleted the most liked comment and posters reposted the comment and chided Sport: [quote]CANSADO de este Piqué que se ha vuelto una diva mediatica y ha bajado su rendimiento notablemente y se esta cargando al equipo con su bajo nivel y actitud. Es un cancer que debe salir del Barça porque antes ni a Ronaldinho le toleramos esa conducta. (Que pasa SPORT? Que vale mas ser amiguete suyo y hacer negocio con el librito de Piqué que una critica honesta? No tapen el Sol con un dedo) [quote]Tired of this Pique who's become a media diva, has lowered his effort and output, and is weighing the team down with his low level of play and his attitude. He's a cancer who should leave Barca because we didn't even tolerate this type of conduct from Ronaldinho. (What's up Sport. What's more important: being friendly with Pique so you can do business with his little book or giving an honest critique? Don't cover the sun with one finger (interesting saying I've never heard before.) Which makes me ask if Pique's attitude has really gotten as bad as Ronaldinho's? Is he showing up to practice late and/or hung over or not showing up at all? Funny, some readers are blaming this on Rosell which I kind of agree with. Pep pretty much disliked him and Rosell was rumored to have pushed the CAA/Hollywood/PR angle.

• No, R300, his behavior in no way resembles Ronaldnho's. And the Bayern match wasn't a "debacle." It was a loss by a team that has been in the semifinals for six straight years. They have to lose sometime, and when they have devastating injuries is as good a time as any. And Piqué has played wonderfully for a long time. No one does it all the time forever. Having said that, this showmance has to go. Whoever is advising him to do this is wrong wrong wrong.

• That match was the very definition of debacle. They couldn't get their act together to save their lives. And now for the Madrid derby. If Atletico pull it off, they'll be tied for 2nd with Real.

• R300 Pep wanted Pique out of FC Barcelona- he didn't like all the circus with Shakira- but Rosell said 'No'. That was one of the reasons why Pep left Barca.

  http://www.goallegacy.net/t25484-guardiola-wanted-to-sell-fabregas-pique-villa-dani-alves

• R301 Pique doesn't play ''wonderfully'' since 2010. Since he started ''dating'' shakira. All the Barça fans think so because it's is very obvious. This is the joke today in Spain. Before meeting Shakira, Pique was a wall. After meeting Shakira, he is a strainer.

  http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/4334/antesdespues.jpg

• Goal.com is known for a lack of reliability. This I find especially suspect as Cesc took the #4 and they were said to get along well: [quote]He was especially disappointed in Cesc as a person, as he had refused to shake his hand when he signed. I went to the goal.com article and saw that the source was AS, the Madrid sports daily known printing unverified information or sometimes just making stuff up... Yes, Pep was annoyed with both Alves (seems like he acted out a bit when he was going through a divorce) and Pique (for the obvious reasons). However, get rid of them? Getting rid of four popular and tactically important players in one fell swoop isn't really a Pep move I Googled the source quoted in AS, Francois Gallardo, the "Fifa agent" and found that he started rumors about Terry to Valencia and Drogba to Barcelona (really?) and he hasn't been a licensed agent for over a decade. AS didn't seem to bother to see if this guy is credible.

  http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2012/10/25/3552634/dont-believe-a-word-of-the-john-terry-to-valencia-rumours

• The tweets in Spain are like this PIQUE CREATED BY BARCA DEVELOPED BY BARCA DESTROYED BY SHAKIRA

  https://twitter.com/curtis_willy/status/328609843877396480

• Both Pique and Ibra were destroyed by being locked in the closest. Famewhore Shakira just finished him off. She also made him an object of ridicule, causing far more damage than the infamous pic.

• Meanwhile in Madrid... Miss BumBum Andressa Orach claims Cristiano Ronaldo was obsessed with her butt. So sorry for the link. (The Sun)

  http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4906625/Cristiano-Ronaldo-betrays-Irina-Shayk-by-romping-with-Miss-BumBum-Andressa-Urach.html

• And once again today in Sport, Barca fans criticize Pique's behaviour since he is with Shakira.

  http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/pique-alguien-puede-remontar-4-0-somos-nosotros-2378459

• Well, he just sealed the cule hate with that OG.

• I will not get down on this club. Guardiola departure, cancer, injuries, mental fatigue, doubt, physical fatigue. Except, Piqué, ditch the bitch and go back to playing ball.

• Torres wears a mask but not underwear. It can't be that comfortable playing a competitive sport with all that swinging?

  http://25.media.tumblr.com/9e54f1830bfff8392c20a740d1dec75b/tumblr_mm71b9oXIM1r6ibubo1_500.gif

• They wear underwear, but they're skimpy and look like ladies' panties. I don't understand how this is the one sport where athletic supporters aren't worn yet it seems like the sport where it's most necessary.

• R313, I agree. I was surprised to discover that soccer players didn't wear cups. Maybe it's too restrictive considering they have to do everything with their legs/feet? Torres is definitely going commando in that GIF. He alternates it seems because there have been plenty of games where he's obviously wearing underwear. There were plenty of photos and videos of him on a summer tour with Liverpool in SE Asia in 2009. He was clearly swinging freely. Maybe as the weather warms up, Torres ditches the underwear.

• I can't get down on them either. Pique, however, is another matter. The parallels to the Beckhams and his rise and departure from Man Utd. are strong. Pique hasn't gotten a boot thrown at his head (that we know of or yet), but the same elements are in play. After Beckham departed Utd. SAF was pretty clear in saying that once the romance and hyper-drive publicity started, his dedication to the game waned. And it showed. I would love it if he were traded to a very unglamourous club where the paps would have to travel great distances to snap them.

• Since we have already posted the Fernando Torres gif...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DzoFhCHnfK5k

• Oh my. Was there animation assistance? I recall a picture of Figo on the ground with his monster flopping out. Can't find it though

• R311 R315 Tito Vilanova has called out Pique ''Maybe the footballer who has asked for changes in the team, could be one of them''

  http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/toque-tito-pique-mejor-jugador-que-pidio-cambios-pensaba-que-podia-ser-uno-2381941

• Yes, R318, but if you saw the video it's obvious that Tito was joking. Of course jokes can have their point, too.

• Shaqiri (Bayern): "I dream of becoming as dominant as Barcelona have been over the years - that should be Bayern's goal."

• R319 Tito was not joking. Today after the match, Zubizarreta has admitted that they have talked to Pique about what he said.

• About what Tito said in the press conference? Like Pique being sold. Or that it wasn't appropriate for Pique to comment about the club making changes?

• Eight footballers say 'we're gay' but keep quiet in fear of fans. Players feel they must hide their sexuality to avoid being the target of homophobic chants. At least eight professional footballers have revealed to colleagues that they are gay, but have refused to go public because they fear a backlash from fans. This latest evidence that British football remains a homophobic environment comes after Jason Collins, a high-profile American basketball star, became the first player from a US professional sports league to reveal that he was gay. In Britain, no professional footballer has come out and continued his career since Justin Fashanu in 1990. He stopped playing in 1994, but hanged himself four years later, aged 37. Fashanu had said that he had not been prepared for the backlash that followed his disclosure, and that his football career suffered "heavy damage" as a consequence. Earlier this year, Robbie Rogers, an American playing for Leeds United, left the club by "mutual consent" after announcing that he was gay. Rogers, 25, said at the time that remaining in football after declaring that you were gay was "impossible". Last week it emerged that he had left England and was training with the Los Angeles Galaxy football team in the US. Gay campaigners told the Observer that Clarke Carlisle, chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, had revealed that eight players had approached him to disclose that they were gay. Seven told him that the reason they would not reveal their sexual orientation publicly was not the reaction from the dressing room or club, but the potential reaction from the media and supporters. Chris Basiurski, chair of the Gay Football Supporters' Network, said that, although progressive attitudes had begun to infiltrate the dressing room, the fear of how supporters would react remained a problem. "The danger is not so much coming out, but what happens next," he said. "One of the problems Justin Fashanu found was that he was the first black millionaire player, and a lot of things were expected of him on the pitch at Nottingham Forest and it didn't really work out. When that happened, the dressing room and the management used his sexuality as a thing to bash him with." Basiurski said the organisation had heard reports of professional players whose sexuality was a secret guarded inside the game: "We have anecdotal evidence that players are out within their clubs and don't have a problem. But we are trying to create an atmosphere for people to come out safely, but at the moment there is a big barrier. The fact is, we have never really tested the fans, both home or away, on this. "The danger is what happens when a player comes out and gets loads of support and attention, but then start playing badly. The worry is that fans will start getting on their backs and they may lose the confidence of their manager and it could be connected to their sexuality." Last month fans of Brighton & Hove Albion called on the football authorities to increase efforts to tackle homophobic abuse after a report showing that it was prevalent in 72% of the club's games this season. Brighton has the popular reputation of being Britain's gay capital. The findings, which include allegations of chanting, gestures by players and threats made to supporters, were compiled by the Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters' Club. The issue of homophobia within football is gradually gaining political momentum, with Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, describing the absence of openly gay professional footballers in the UK as "outrageous", while two weeks ago MPs tabled a parliamentary debate calling on clubs, supporters and football authorities to eradicate homophobic chanting.

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/05/gay-footballers-fear-reaction-of-fans

• (continued) Stonewall, the gay charity, has conducted research finding that 60% of supporters believe that anti-gay abuse from fans dissuades players from coming out. The organisation is working closely with the FA and PFA as part of the Kick it Out campaign to rid the game of homophobia. Andrew Wasley of Stonewall said: "There are signs that things are getting much better – at clubs such as West Ham and Arsenal in particular. But there are also gay people who are worried about what to do. The whole game needs to be much more open." Positive developments include Arsenal's solid backing for the Gay Gooners supporters' initiative, while West Ham player Matt Jarvis recently became only the third footballer to feature on the cover of the gay magazine, Attitude, after David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg. Jarvis said it was about time a gay footballer felt comfortable enough to come out, adding that doing so could even help an individual's playing performance, although he later revealed that following his appearance on the magazine his wife has been repeatedly asked about his sexuality. Matthew Todd, the editor of Attitude, said footballers remained unusual in that most seemed afraid about being featured in a gay magazine.

• Lordy, Ferg retires and y'all have nothing to say? Not to mention, silver fox Mancini is about to be sacked.

• Funny how there was so much talk about Mourinho being Fergie's heir, but David Moyes was the hand picked successor all along. Fergie may respect Mou as a manager, but he knows that a team as storied as United needs stability and doesn't need to be secondary to a coach's ego. (though SAF has plenty of it himself, it's not nearly as outrageous) I think this is one of the most drama-free coaching transitions I've seen. Let's see how Moyes with money does. I'm very intrigued about next season. Mourinho's said he's going to remain at Madrid, but I doubt it. Esp. if they don't perform at CdeR. I'd be interested in seeing Pellegrini up against Chelsea's squad with Mou back at the helm. If Mourinho's back, a Lampard contract extension should be guaranteed.

• And what have you to say, R325? Sid Lowe on Pellegrini: Once Txiki Begiristain took over as the sporting director at Manchester City, Manuel Pellegrini was always likely to be a managerial target – especially once Pep Guardiola chose Munich over Manchester. Begiristain was the man who brought in Guardiola to be Barcelona's first-team coach in 2008 and the assumption was that he would try to do the same in England. City's owners may well have employed him with that very idea in mind. If so, the plan failed, but they may just have got the closest thing. In 2008, Barcelona had just finished third, beaten to the runners-up spot by Pellegrini's Villarreal – the last side to break up the big two – and the media demanded José Mourinho, but Begiristain insisted on a very specific model in Guardiola: the same model City are now seeking to install – an attacking game based on technique and possession, a stable project and a willingness to bring through youth. Few fit the philosophy like the 59-year-old Chilean. Barcelona won everything with Guardiola; the following year Real Madrid sought to emulate them. Jorge Valdano, a conscious advocate of the type of football Barça adopted, described Pellegrini as a coach who "likes his team to be the protagonist: he seeks to dominate possession and always attack". Pellegrini was the obvious man to execute Valdano's plan. It is natural enough that City should see him as the candidate to execute theirs. The decision may be questionable but it is coherent. It is not just about winning, it is about how you win. City fans have pointed out that Pellegrini has won nothing in the nine years he has spent coaching in Spain. That is true but it fails to take into consideration the level of the teams he managed, the circumstances he encountered and the teams he faced. At Real, he found a club where two key players were sold against his wishes and though he broke the club's points record, but missed out to the Guardiola-led Barcelona team who won a unique treble in 2009. Beguiristain's team. Either side of that, he took Villarreal and Málaga to the Champions League for the first time. He led Villarreal to the semi-final, beating Roberto Mancini's Internazionale en route, and led Málaga to the quarter-finals. No debutant side have ever gone as far as either of them.

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/12/manuel-pellegrini-manchester-city-malaga

• Thanks for the GUARDIAN link above, with its discussion of gay issues. But why only about England? And the Barça club even has gay nights and have a gay penya -- not to mention the fact that the most global gay gossip has been about a pair there. And, by the way, I'm in Catalonia at the moment but somehow missed out on the fact that the Barça boys would be parading through the streets on Monday in celebration of the League championship. But I just watched the video, and a helicopter with an arial view exposed the fact that Piqué seemed to be lying on the floor of the top deck of the bus (out of view of the crowd), making out with another player. Just joking? Usual behavior? Who knows, but the GUARDIAN article takes up the usual point that it's not the players who mind having gays among them. It's the fans.

• Well that was an inauspicious end to the Mourinho reign in Spain. Both he and Ronaldo get sent off. The latter's sending off was assisted by Gabi, but he did seem to aim the kick with intent and it narrowly missed Gabi's face. His second kick of the match. His first wasn't spotted by the ref and actually made contact. So will Mourinho really follow through and stay and see if he has another chance to win the CL in another league? Or will Real and Abramovich work something out? I looked up at the TV during the medal ceremony just in time to see Pepe curtsying to the King and Queen. Not a bow, but a curtsy. I didn't see any Spanish players bow. I'm sure he's been attending charm school during his convalescence. I don't think I've heard Martin Ainstein call a game or do color commentary. He is quite excitable and it's a good thing he's not a broadcast journalist. He lost his voice by the middle of the second half.

• Watching Mou's press conference live now. He started out by letting the press know that he never, NEVER hides after losses or ties, only after victories. Defensive and defending his legacy as he eulogizes his tenure year by year in response to a question about this season only. Ah, ha, but he admitted this has been objectively his worst season, but couldn't resist saying it would have been a good season for most coaches. Oh well.

• [quote]I just watched the video, and a helicopter with an arial view exposed the fact that Piqué seemed to be lying on the floor of the top deck of the bus (out of view of the crowd), making out with another player. That's hot. Who was the other player?

• Screencaps?

• Jonathan Dos Santos, ¿gay? Una imagen y palabras del futbolista, dieron paso a una bomba de rumores y especulaciones. Aquí los detalles. Autor : TELEMUNDO 52 | Fecha: 17/05/2013 | Actualizado: 17/05/2013 7:10 PM EDT LOS ÁNGELES (California) – El mundo del deporte está viviendo tremenda polémica, y todo es porque el futbolista mexicano Jonathan Dos Santos, dio a conocer una foto por Twitter, en la que supuestamente declara su amor a Thiago Alcantara, también futbolista, algo que muchos han interpretado como una declaración de que es gay. En dicho mensaje, Dos Santos dice: “A tu lado este día aún fue más especial #tamojuntosempre #teamo @thi_alcantara91” Como era de esperarse, esto de inmediato provocó una gran controversia, pues muchos no se imaginaban que este deportista tan famoso, pudiera ser homosexual. Hasta el momento Jonathan Dos Santos no ha hecho declaraciones al respecto, por lo que todavía cabe la posibilidad de que todo se trata de una broma del futbolista, o de que alguien haya invadido su cuenta de Twitter mandando el mensaje a sus espaldas. A continuación puedes ver el mensaje que apareció en la cuenta de Twitter de Jonathan Dos Santos y después te invitamos a compartir tu opinión al respecto.

  http://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/Jonathan-Dos-Santos-gay-Jonathan-Dos-Santos-barcelona-futbol-homosexual-207943941.html

• Interesting, R333, I know nothing about those two.

• I'm more familiar with his older brother Giovanni, but I haven't seen him play since he left Barca three or four years ago. I remember he had a very cute, almost child-like face. I think I've seen Jonathan play a total of two or three times as a sub. Couldn't say much about him. It does seem like the press is reading a bit too much into this. He tweeted a pic of themselves during Monday's celebration and said "I love you." Isn't that blowing things a bit out of proportion?

• I can't believe that no one has commented on this yet. During the Barca parade, Pique's underwear was ripped off by some players like Song. In the video you can see how Valdes semelled it and throw it back. Everybody could see Pique ass in the air.

  http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/6710/culogerardpiquesincalzo.jpg

• One more pic of Pique's ass when he was lying on the bus floor. The best part was when Cesc put a bee can in Pique's crack.

  http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5380/ruat.jpg

• I actually haven't seen any of the coverage for the parade this year. Damn! I'll have to look through Youtube and Barcagirls Tumblr. This is the best since Messi got loaded and nearly took a header off the top deck of the bus (saved by Gudjohnssen [sic?]).

• What's a "bee can?"

• Sorry, I mean beer can.

• R338 Here you can watch the whole scene and what happened with Pique's ass, the beer can, his underwear.... It starts at min 58.

  http://www.tv3.cat/3alacarta/#/videos/4575192

• Thanks, R341.

• Thanks, r336. That should put to rest the repeated claim on this thread that "Piqué has not butt"!

• [quote]The best part was when Cesc put a bee can in Pique's crack. Yikes, that must have stung! Seriously, though, he can take it. A beer can might seem small compared to what I put up his ass.

  Ibra

• OMG. Ibra is at Eurofestival Song contest.

• What's he doing? I'll have to watch this on TVE Internacional (I'm in the U.S.) Well, no. I don't think I could deal with the cheesefest and there's no one around to laugh about it with.

• There's been some rumours that Chelsea wants to sell Torres.

• So it's official, Mourinho's free to go to Chelsea. Contract called off mutually so RM doesn't have to pay out. Boy were they desperate to part ways. I wonder if Florentino will ever learn. I can't believe he actually made the longevity statement. Madrid's president insisted: "No one has been sacked." He also said that he would have liked Mourinho to have continued but the pressure at Real Madrid meant that after three years the time had come to end the relationship. "Sometimes the pressure here goes beyond the normal," he said. [bold]"And Mourinho has been here for three years: that makes him the longest-serving manager in the first division."[/bold] On another note, if Torres is still around next season I wonder if Mourinho can work his so-called man management skills on him and help with his confidence. Probably not, judging from his interaction with Shevchenko.

• Interesting take on a Chelsea return. I wonder how he'll do with Mata who doesn't exactly fit in with Mourinho's typical offense. Mata and Torres must have been getting some hints from Iker and Ramos. Dublin – Friday night at the Bernabeu, and if the people who pull the strings at Chelsea were watching, they will have been reminded of one thing above all. When Jose Mourinho leaves your club, there is usually more figurative bloodshed than in a performance of The Revenger's Tragedy. Not for Mourinho the discreet exit out the back door and the car to the airport. When he goes, he goes with a bang. Sent off in Friday's Copa Del Rey final defeat, he thrust his face into that of the fourth official before he departed, watched by a bench featuring many of the players he has alienated. The supporters singing his name were the Atletico Madrid fans and they were singing for him to stay. “'Tis a heavy season,” laments Antonio in The Revenger's Tragedy, one of the few to make it through in one piece to the end. A heavy season indeed. Who has Mourinho made enemies of in his third year at Real Madrid? It might be easier to list those he hasn't. Last week the Barcelona-based newspaper Sport ran a cartoon of a four-man Real team, captioned: “Mourinho picks the four players still on his side.” For the record they were Michael Essien, Diego Lopez, Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso. The enemy camp is rather more crowded. There is Iker Casillas, Pepe, the Madrid football press, not to mention those who blame Mourinho for driving a schism through the heart of the all-conquering Spain national team. You might add to that list King Juan Carlos, who was handing out the medals on Friday night, a presentation which Mourinho boycotted. Any suggestion that he may have mellowed from his days of relentless conflict have been well and truly quashed this season. Watching from afar, Chelsea will not want to be swayed on the basis of one more combustible evening, but even they – from Roman Abramovich through to his key advisors and executives, Michael Emenalo, Bruce Buck, Ron Gourlay – must be feeling a little frisson of concern. Why is Mourinho the right man for the Chelsea job? Easy. He wins trophies, and he did so brilliantly in his three full seasons in England. He is capable of handling the biggest names in the dressingroom because he is, arguably, a bigger name than all of them. He changes games with bold tactical moves, although in fairness, since his days at Uniao de Leiria, it is not like he has been in the habit of managing basket cases. Mourinho has a lot going for him. But one thing that will mark out his appointment at Chelsea from his recent predecessors is that no one at the club can believe this will go beyond the short term. Mourinho is an impact manager. The only empire he is interested in building is that of his own reputation. The clubs change but the trophies keep rolling in, and that third Champions League title, when it comes, will take him into rarefied company. Nothing wrong with that, as long as both parties understand what the deal is. But Chelsea would do well to consider now a question that will be asked from the minute Mourinho walks in the door, which is: what do they do on the day that he walks out? Chelsea's appointment of Andre Villas-Boas two years ago was made with a view to building something similar to Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. Carlo Ancelotti was regarded as a potential long-term team-builder, so too Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2008. All other appointments – Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez – have been made on the hoof after sackings. Or in the case of Di Matteo last summer, when he was elevated from caretaker status, because the club felt they had to. (more at link)

  http://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/premier-league/mourinho-s-return-will-end-in-tears-1.1518643%23.UZqGnqJO9j4

• Finishing second in La Liga for either Barca and Real Madrid is the same as finishing last. Those two teams are so dominant this past decade, the other 18 teams are always going to be fighting for third. So, Aletico Madrid, I salute you for not only winning the Supercup, the snd the Kings Cup but also for finishing "first" in the (rest of the) league. That means Mourinho has the ignominy of not only being the first RM to lose to Atletico in 14 years but for also finishing "last". I hope and pray Torres finds a suitable club to transfer to as there is tabloid word that he's not wanted by Mourinho. And we all know what happens to high profile players who are not wanted by Mourinho. Does Torres want to be Chelsea's Kaka? He should have a word with Shevchenko on how Mourinho treats unwanted strikers. Torres must have kicked puppies in a previous life. He really has the most rotten luck. He finally finds some decent form towards the end of the season. In one of his finest weeks as a professional, he scores in and wins a European final and scores the winner in the last game of the season, which ensured Chelsea finished third. And his beloved Atleti wins a cup final against RM at the Bernabeu. But before the last game of the season, a London journalist who has connections to Mourinho states Torres will be sold as the Semi-final One doesn't rate him at all. Torres can't even bask in the glory of being a champion striker for more than a week. But I would be relieved to see Torres go. He may not join a team as capable of winning as many trophies, but not being dicked over by Mourinho is worth it. Will Juan Mata put up with Mourinho's BS and thug tactics? I may be overestimating Mata but he seems to be a very smart and upstanding guy--it's really hard for me to see him as a Mourinho player.

• The return of Mourinho also speaks volume of Abramovich. All we heard the last couple of seasons was how Chelsea wanted to forge a strong positive footballing identity. They splashed cash on flair players like Mata and Hazard. They nearly broke Torres by bringing him as the first of the transition players and shoehorned him into the old guard team and style of play. This season was rough but for the first time, you could see a new Chelsea emerging. But a couple of years without a league title, Abramovich chickens out and brings back the reductive football manager in Mourinho. What a waste.

• What's so amusing is that Simeone's accomplishments in 18 months far outstrip Mourinho's despite spending half the time with his team. A Europa Cup, the European Super Cup, and CDR are more impressive, IMO, especially with a club with a fraction of the resources and payroll. I can't wait to see them in CL next season. I'm also excited to see what Real Sociedad will do in EC. They're really an up and coming team that's supposed to be developing some really good talent. And I've read they don't have budget deficit problems.

• [quote]The return of Mourinho also speaks volume of Abramovich. They deserve each other, don't they? I also think it speaks volumes that while everybody thought Mourinho was SAF's natural successor, SAF himself didn't. He had Moyes lined up for years. It makes perfect sense. It speaks volumes that Mou hasn't had an amicable parting with any club. The departure from Porto was acrimonious, the relationship with Abramovitch broke down, he seemed not to relish his time at Inter and loathed the Italian press and left early. I predicted how his tenure would unfold at Bernabeu, pretty much down to the letter. I'm not trying to be "special" myself by saying this. Anyone who has some familiarity with RM, La Liga, his history with Barcelona, the Madrid press, and knows anything about Mou could have predicted it. The only thing that actually surprised me was how unglued he became in his second season, so much so that I even speculated in an old thread that he was having problems at home that affected his professional life.

• Mourinho's management style is tolerable for about 2 seasons and then starts to sour. I don't think it's a coincidence that he has been shit canned after the 3rd season each with Chelsea and RM. He wisely left Inter after 2 seasons. The club loved him even if the rest of Italy did not. But he knew had wrung blood out of that Inter team and got the hell out of there before he got stuck with actually rebuilding a team. Benitez got stuck with the shit end of it and look at how bad Inter has been since then. Moratti won't open up the checkbook to renew the team and Mourinho knew it. And how come so little has been made of the fact that Mourinho was in charge of two of the wealthiest teams in history for a total of six seasons and got fuck all out of the Champions League? He couldn't even make it to a CL final with either of them. Meanwhile Bayern are in their 3rd final in 4 seasons. Barcelona have won 3 in the last decade. Benitez took a mediocre Liverpool team to TWO CL finals in 3 years.

• [quote]Meanwhile Bayern are in their 3rd final in 4 seasons. Barcelona have won 3 in the last decade. And you know he's perturbed that Pep is going to be taking the reins at Bayern. And I can hear the barbs about "ready made" team already.