Andrés defends his swimsuit choice & Cesc cries

Of note:

Andrés Iniesta gave an interview to tabloid newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, in which he talked about the tribute from the people of Albacete, the World Cup final, his winery, and most importantly for us, that swimsuit.

Highlights, and a thank you to reader Doris for providing the link:

– a lot of people made an effort to come from far away to see me during the tribute.  Maybe this effort was not worth it, because I couldn’t give back everything that they deserved to have.

– I still don’t think what happened [in the final] has set in yet.  Some years need to go by before I can really understand what we achieved.

– July 11 was a normal day… the group was calm and confident.  Everything was normal, until the game started… the game was hard, a battle but it was great for a final.

– it seems that a lot of people didn’t like [my swimsuit].  The truth is, it’s lovely.

– [for my new winery,] the idea is to have part of the installation ready by the end of the month to treat the grapes, and later on, when everything is finished, to inaugurate it.

More parts of the interview after the jump!

And Cesc Fàbregas received a tribute in his hometown of Arenys de Mar on Sunday.  More than 2,500 people joined in the celebration, which was organized by Joaquim García, a good friend of Cesc’ father and the coach of CF Arenys.  Cesc received the Medalla de la Vila from the hands of the mayor, making him the first person to do so, while his entire family watched proudly from the first row.  And when it came time for Cesc to give a little speech, he said it was an honor, and that everyone deserved it as much as he did.  He got a little emotional during his discourse, which came after a slideshow of the highlights of his career, having to stop several times to wipe away tears.

Thanks to reader Michelle, who provided this translation of Iniesta’s interview with El Mundo Deportivo:

How did you feel about being honored?

Great, it was a really special day; I tried to enjoy all the emotions.

Did you think so many people were going to show up?

You can imagine it, but when you feel the love and respect of all the people, it’s a beautiful thing. Many people made the effort to come from afar to see me and I’m afraid that effort might not have been rewarded, because I wasn’t able to dedicate myself to all of them as they deserved.

In Madrid, during the celebrations, you said that if you’d known, you would have preferred to win but with someone else’s goal, e.g. perhaps Villa’s…

Haha! That would’ve been another option, but I feel privileged to have become part of history with the national team and with football. I still don’t think I quite understand what’s happened. Maybe a little more now that I see everyone’s reaction, but I think a few years will have to pass in order for me to truly understand what we accomplished.

Could you have dreamt of anything more grand than scoring the winning goal at the World Cup Final in its dying minutes?

Well, it’s true that I’ve won everything and that this is a pretty amazing point in my life, but my football career continues on, and we’re about to start another season from scratch, with new challenges and new titles to be won.

Should the fans be worried about the team getting complacent after having won everything?

Not at all – every trophy you win just makes you want to keep on winning. If we don’t win, it won’t be because we won the World Cup.

What do you remember of July 11, the day of the final? What was the day like?

Really normal, like all the other matches, maybe because it had all gone well up to that point. The group was filled with calmness and great confidence. Right up until kickoff, everything was normal, but during the match itself… it was very tough, a battle worthy of a World Cup Final.

Including your battle with Van Bommel?

Haha! Yes, that was pretty tough. Holland had their chances, Iker made that great save, we had chances too, and as time ticked by you had to start thinking about penalties, but the team was able to finish strong and at the end we were the ones with the trophy.

The end of the World Cup has meant the start of your new life as a celebrity! How have you liked being a target for the paparazzi, as you were during your vacation in Sardinia?

That’s to be expected, and normal. I already went through a similar experience two years ago after winning the Eurocopa, but well… The only one it’s been bad for has been my poor swimsuit, which it appears that not many people like. It’s actually super cute.

It’s for competition, right?

Yeah, and that’s why I think you shouldn’t have too much sports culture – ha!

Back to your vacation. You are taking advantage of this time in Fuentealbilla to put the finishing touches on your new winery, with experts in the community and the most cutting-edge winemaking technology. Your wines are already beginning to bring you some fame, eh?

The idea is to have part of the winery ready to handle the first grape harvest at the end of this month and then later, when everything’s finished, to actually hold the inauguration. We’re pushing hard to get it all done.

So when is the town going to change its name to “Andrés Iniesta’s Fuentealbilla”?

No, dude, the most important thing is that people have great affection for me, I value that most; I’m proud of where I’m from. My job is football and I’ll keep trying to play as well as I can so that they can continue to be proud of me.