the latest on La Rojita

As is habitual after game days, half of La Rojita – the starters and the subs – spent the day in a spa, while the other half – those who didn’t play – had a training session.  Ángel Villar was there, as was Fernando Hierro, who actually suited up and partook in the session.  The reason for that was that he had made a bet with Luis Milla that if Spain reached the final, he would train with them.  And so there he was, training and even defending the goal when Luis Milla’s son tried out his luck on penalties.  A couple of the players and their popped collars spoke to the press, and then the team had the afternoon off.  Today, the team will train Aarhus Stadium, the site of the final.

Random bits

– Cuatro had Javi (!!!), Jeffren, Dani Parejo, Juanín and Luis Milla write their predictions for the final.   Everyone was very serious about it, except for Javi (!!!) with his huge smile, so I had to share those moments with you.

– in an interview with EFE, Ander Herrera revealed that if he weren’t a footballer, he’d be a journalist: “it’s because I like to talk about any topic, and to keep updated on things that happen.  I read, I’m interested in many things, I ask questions.  Footballers can’t close themselves off to everything but football because that will end.  Success is fleeting.  Everything passes.  Perhaps I wouldn’t be a sports journalist; I would rather make documentaries.  I love those about Africa, about animals or the sea.”  Fittingly enough, the first question of the interview was about how mature Ander is (he says he’s always been like that, because that’s what he was taught), and you can see that from his response to the journalism question.  Ander also revealed that the athlete he would like to get to know in the Olympic Village in London is Rafa Nadal, because “he’s an example as an athlete for all Spaniards.”

– the RFEF informed us yesterday that there are six players on the current team who know what it’s like to win a gold medal, because they won that during 2009’s Mediterranean Games.  Luis Milla was also the coach back then, and the six players are Ander, Dídac, José Ángel, Emilio Nsue, Dani Parejo and Botía.  Four of them started the final game – Botía, Parejo, Valdés and Nsue – with Ander and Dídac coming on as subs.  Can you spot them below?

– AS reports that Spain won’t be bringing any (real) overage players to the Olympics (teams field U-23 players, but are allowed to add three overage players to the team).  As five of the players – PF Juan Mata, Javi Martínez (!!!), Adrián, Capel and Jeffren – will be overage by then (they’re the ones born in 1988), the RFEF has decided to reward them and use the allowance to bring three of them along.  But how can they choose three out of these starlets?  It’s also still unknown whether the two J.M.s will play in both the Eurocopa and the Olympics.

– Marca dug up this photo of Adrián with Luis Milla, circa mid-90s.  Real Madrid, Luis’ team, was playing against Oviedo, and by chance, Pepe López, Adrián’s father and socio of Oviedo, had brought his son to the game and he was one of those that posed with the players before the game.  How cute was little Adrián?