Champion's League: Round of 16

1^st leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 starts in a couple of hours.  I can’t really comment on the 16 teams left since I’m way out of touch when it comes to the current status and standing of the football clubs in Europe.  I used to follow the Champions League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundasliga but stopped the year my favorite team, Juventus FC was relegated.  I have just recently revived my interest in European Football.   So I’ll just point you to great links that offer pre-match highlights, team info and match predictions.

AC Milan vs Tottenham

3:30AM on Feb 16 @ Ball’s Channel

If I were to choose between the two teams, I’d go for Inter Milan.  Why?  Two reasons.  One, they were one of my favorite teams, back when I used to follow the Champions League. Second, Filippo Inzhagi.  He was also one of my favorite players back then.  He used to play for Juve, at a time when the club was still at the top of their League.  Anyway, I’m happy to know that he hasn’t retired yet and he’s still in top form as he is the 2^nd top goal scorer in this season’s Champions League, for their club at least. 

Looking at the rest of AC Milan’s line up, it’s good to know that other than Inzhagi, there are some of the players from way back who are still around like Nesta, Zambrotta and Seedorf who are still around.  I was expecting all these new batch of great players.  Other players of note in AC Milan are Robinho, Pirlo and Ibrahimovic.

For Tottenham, players of note are van der Vaart, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

More at:

Tottenham turn attentions to other Milan giant 

Tottenham's Rafael Van Der Vaart: We Can Beat Milan In Champions League

Champions League preview: Milan v Tottenham

 

Valencia vs Schalke

5:30AM on Feb 16 @ Ball’s Channel

Not much I can say for both teams yet.  We’ll see how the match ends.  If I were to choose from the two… hhhhmmmmm…. Maybe Valencia?  Although, I do like Raul who is now playing for Schalke (so this is where he went, after leaving Real Madrid.  I love how he celebrates his goal, kissing his wedding ring)

Players to watch for Valencia: David Navarro, Joaquin, Ever Banega, Roberto Soldado

Players to watch for Schalke: Raul, Jefferson Farfan, Jurado, Christoph Metzelder

More at:

Soldado ready to go for Schalke jugular

Champions League Special: Valencia – Schalke Key Personal Battles

Raul wants happy Homecoming

Champions League preview: Valencia v Schalke

Shakira moving to Spain to be closer to Piqué?

Rumors are all a-buzzin’ again as Shakira put out an indefinite lease on a luxury villa on the city outskirts of Barcelona.

Last August 2010, she split with her fiancée of 11 years, Antonio De La Rua, son of the former president of Argentina.  Just around that time, gossip surfaced linking the sexy singer to the FC Barcelona defender, Gerard Piqué when the footballer was spotted exiting the same hotel in Ibiza that Shakira had been staying in for a couple of days.  There were reports on secret rendezvous and that they were even seen kissing in a restaurant.  Both camps denied the affair.

grainy picture of both Shakira and Piqué in the same hotel, “proof” that they were supposedly there at the same time

Now, the Shakira-Piqué rumours are back in the public attention as it’s speculated that she’s moving to Spain to be closer to Piqué.  Neighbors as are saying that they have spotted the couple walking the dog and going inside the house

Interestingly, this was not only the juicy rumour the sexy football hunk was involved in last year.  A photo of him and his Barcelona team mate, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was found the picture in a Facebook group called "Yo También Me Quedé Traspuesto/a Al Ver La Foto De Ibra Y Piqué" ("I, Too, Was Transfixed By the Ibra and Piqué Photo).  It shows the two of them sharing a very tender and loving moment outside the team's training facilities.  It has caused people to speculate over the nature of their relationship.

could it be photoshop? or just a weird camera angle? or is there really something going on between them?

Ibrahimovic is already married, with children.  Piqué has been linked to the Welsh beauty and Bollywood actress, Lisa Lazarus when he was just starting his career at Manchester United.

 Liza Lazarus Miss UK 2008 and represented UK in Miss Universe 2008

Going back to the Shakira-Piqué rumor, only time will tell if these two are really an item. 

The two meet when during the shooting of the Waka-waka video, the official track of the 2010 World Cup.

Wait for the 11:11 mark to see Piqué.