Iker was on the program “El Partido de las 12” on Cadena COPE last night, and said some interesting things.  I don’t have time to do a full transcript, so here are some of the interesting highlights (i.e. the non-football sound bites, which you won’t find in the articles summarizing his visit), including talk about Alejandro Sanz!  For me, Iker + Alejandro is the best combination ever.

on Alejandro Sanz (they start playing “Nuestro amor será leyenda,” and say, that’s one of your favorite singers, no?): he’s a very nice guy.  I had the pleasure of meeting him.  We all love his songs, we’ve all listened to them and thanks to football I got to get to know him, probably more than a normal boy from Móstoles would have been able to.  (They also ask him if he’s more of a “Viviendo deprisa” or “Pisando fuerte” guy.  Jajaja!!!)

on his music playlist: (they go over his playlist and get his reaction).

– on “Desde cuando” – yes, I am very much so (when it’s said that he likes the song because he’s a romantic guy).

– on “Chiquilla” – it’s for when you get upset with your friends.

– on “No me doy por vencido” – I like this one a lot.  It lifts your spirits.

on Roxette: “Stars” for me is one of the best songs of all time… it motivates you.  I asked for this song to be played over the loudspeakers of the Santiago Bernabéu when I go out to warm up, taking advantage of my first year as captain.

on the World Cup: my hair still stands up on end when I talk about it.  [They try to get him to talk about “ese beso” but he ignores them.]

on his gloves: the left one no longer has only four fingers.

Then the program presenters do a “fast test” with Iker:

a city to live in: Madrid

a place to disconnect and forget about football: Navalacruz, the pueblo of my parents

favorite musical group: Roxette, but if I had to choose a Spanish one, El Canto del Loco, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Estopa

favorite movie: Notting Hill [me too!!!]

a football stadium: the Santiago Bernabéu and San Mamés [where Athletic plays and where Iker debuted]

a non-footballer athlete that you admired: there are a lot, but I would say Indurain; we all grew up watching him win five Tours

your best save: the one where you didn’t allow the ball to enter the goal

two coaches that have influenced your life: Toshack for giving me my debut, and Del Bosque for giving me continuity

a dream left to achieve: win the Copa del Rey, because it’s the only trophy that I don’t have

And yes, the shirt was awful.  But it got worse when he turned around.