And José Mourinho will be on hand to witness that, as he’s going to be at the Eurocopa! Mou will be cheering on his players at the tournament. On Saturday, he’ll attend the Germany-Portugal game in Lviv, then head to Gdansk to see Spain take on Italy on Sunday. In that way, he’ll be able to see 10 of his players, if all of them play. Mou will only miss seeing Karim Benzema, as he’s going to Singapore after that for work and won’t have the chance to see France. Mou says, “I’m Portuguese and I’ll support my team, but I’ll also always support my players.”
Manolo Preciado passed away late Wednesday evening, and many of our player sent condolences via twitter, Facebook or Instagram. José Mourinho also published a letter on Madrid’s web site, and it was very touching.
– I’m not anyone to try and praise the life of Manuel Preciado, which has just been broken into a thousand pieces. But as a colleague and a man of football, I would like to send my humble message of pain in this very tough moment to all his loved ones, his family, his people in Sporting, Racing, Levante, Villarreal, a club I’m sure he was going to rescue from the second division; all the teams where he has left his mark. Manolo was always a worthy opponent, which I discovered when he came to visit us in March at Valdebebas. He had all the qualities I like in a person and athlete: character, transparency, and the spirit to fight against adversity, of which he suffered a lot. A figure in the world of football and a very special person has left us. All my support and encouragement for those who appreciated him from the heart. My memories of him will be heartfelt and permanent.
DEP Manolo Preciado!
In an interview with Marca (jajaja, the Spanish press is going crazy now interviewing all the Madrid players, because they weren’t allowed to do this during the season), Karim Benzema said that the first goal he scores in the Eurocopa will be for Florentino and dedicated to Pitina: “I want to send my sincerest condolences to the president for the passing away of his wife.” When asked what he remembers about the celebration at Cibeles, the Benz replied, “I enjoyed it like a little child. The people celebrated with us. The Liga is also for them, since they supported us the entire year. I remember the joking around with my teammates, especially with Özil and Cristiano. It’s incredible what Real Madrid is capable of creating. You notice each day that it’s the biggest club in the world.”
A bed makes a lot of difference!
Karim also said that the change that he has undergone is due to the fact that “I realized that to play in Real Madrid, I had to work to the maximum each day,” and that the following people helped him: “first, my family and friends. In the beginning, it was very difficult. I came to Madrid alone and I was very young, I had never been far from home before. After that, Mourinho. He was very tough with me, but he helped me to react. I went to speak with him because I wanted to know his plans for me and from that day everything began to improve. Zidane also helped me, supported me. And the rest of my teammates.” He’s also feeling comfortable in Madrid: “I’m very happy. I like the city, the fans, and in the club, everyone supports me. I love the life here, and in a certain way, I already feel a bit madrileño.” Yay! Karim also says he would like Gonzalo to stay, that they get along very well, and that even he doesn’t know what Lass’ plans are, but he also hopes he stays.
Meanwhile, in the second part of his interview with Marca, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about Pepe: “for me, Pepe is the best centerback in the world right now. And as a teammate, he’s the best that could ever exisit, he’s a great friend of mine (smiles)… his reputation as a rough player is unjust. People always try to look for defects in those players with many good qualities, such as Pepe. Pepe is not rough, I don’t agree. He never has any bad intentions, he’s loyal and he defends his colors. That’s the way he should be! If I played in his position, I would do the same. I can’t say anything bad about Pepe because for me, he doesn’t have any bad qualities.”
The interview ended with two fun questions. The first one was if he’s going to be a husband in the future, now that he’s a proud father. Cris responded with a laugh, “well… that looks good to me. Being a father changed my life, it gave me stability and it allowed me to concentrate on my football life. It also changes you a lot on a psychological level, as does having a partner. I’m doing great with her. Yes, I feel much more tranquil and at the age of 27, I’m at the peak of my career, both on a professional level and on a personal level.” The last question was about Cris’ future acting career. He said, “I’m thinking that I’m going to play football for a few more years. After that, we’ll see. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do afterward yet. Football is what I know how to do the best.”
In an interview with German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine, Mustafa, Mesut Özil’s father, revealed that Mesut is great friends with Sergio and Sami Khedira, and that the three of them often get together in Mesut’s house, with Mesut providing the food that he makes himself. Apparently, Sergio and Sami love Mesut’s noodles with garlic, tomatoes and eggs. As for Mes’ own diet, Mustafa says he eats fish twice a week and he is not allowed to drink Coke, and that he’s gained four kilos of muscle. Impressive!
Here are a couple of Adidas commercials featuring Xabi, Iker and Angelito.
There’s one with Kaká too…
Sara Carbonero makes an appearance in Glamour Spain’s June issue, where she speaks about her life, her job and her beauty routine. Highlights:
on keeping her feet on the ground: everything that surrounds me is normal. I do the job that I like with the same people, I meet up with my lifelong friends, my family always supports me… as for the rest, it’ll pass!
on her work: from as long as I can remember, I’ve liked to watch and practice sports. My family loves football, and from the time I was a kid, I’ve followed football, tennis, the Tour de France with interest… I remember that in the summers, I wouldn’t go to the pool until the stage was over! As a child, I wanted to do various things: archaeology, because I like history a lot; criminology, because of movies about the police and mysterious deaths. I’ve always been attracted to journalism. I imagined myself doing something related to communication… what I never imagined was that I would be there when the Spanish national team became world champions for the first time in history. The reality surpassed my dreams.
on staying calm: before I present the news, when I’m already sitting on the chair, I always cross myself. As for when I’m chased by the paparazzi, the only trick is to stay calm and act naturally.
on practicing sports: I do very little, less than I like. I’ve never been inside a gym, I don’t have time and I think I would be bored. I like outdoor sports to disconnect from everything: I run when I can, I ride my bicycle, I play padel, I swim and skate with friends.
on her style: I don’t like to change my look. I prefer for both my clothes and my hair to look simple. I like neutral colors, I don’t have many articles of clothing in bold colors, though I do have some for the summer. I prefer a casual style, although when I’m in good hands, I don’t mind taking a risk and letting others decide for me. I like to wear my hair loose and free. I have a lot of hair and it’s very long, so it’s important for it to be hydrated and protected. I also prefer natural make-up, with a bit of base and light brown tones around the eyes, instead of black, which make your eyes stand out. Now I also like to wear lipsticks in bolder tones, such as red or coral, it makes me happier! In the summer, I like to wear dresses and long skirts with wedge sandals. Also denim shorts in all colors, basic white shirts… and borsalino hats, I like them but I don’t know if I’ll wear them again.
Castilla finished celebrations for their many accomplishments this season with a lunch Tuesday in the palco de honor. The players and coaching staff joined FP, his directors, Alfredo di Stéfano, Emilio Butragueño and Miguel Pardeza for the lunch.
Here’s a photo of the adorable Fernando Pacheco receiving his “golden” Fútbol Draft award, which he tweeted. Congratulations and all, but why is the locker room so messy? Why can’t the boys pick up after themselves?
