Soulino

footiefan, thanks for explanation:) I didn't know that.

Some more Bahamas pics.

Yeah, our Kid need a kind of rest. He deserves it as well as Pepe and Xabi. And about what they will do with Spanish national team - I think it's written up here Some kind of match I suppose. Actually don't know. What's "Yellow Submarine"? Does smb know? A football team or what? By the way! Liverpool have kicked-off their pre-season programme with a well deserved 1-0 success over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. Congratulations, "Reds"! Even without Nando)))

Thank you very much for this site!!! I'll check it! Thanks once again for your help And I think these Bahamas pics were made after Miami. I'm not 100% sure, but think so. And thanks for the news! What a pity Probably Nando will join to Liverpool on 22rd July for the game vs Hertha Berlin (Berlin). So we'll see. Sure it will be announced.

Fernando Torres: “I believe that the victory was well deserved” The striker gives a personal account of the Euro triumph in his album which now holds 15 special moments from his career Spain ended a 44 year wait for a major international trophy with a superb win over Germany in the final of the 2008 European Championships. Vienna was the scene of the Spanish national team’s triumph, as Fernando Torres scored the game’s only goal; breaking away from Lahm before placing a delicate chip over the on-rushing Lehmann in the German goal. Fernando Torres looks back over Spain’s Euro glory in moment 15 from his personal album. The forward describes the run-up to the final clash versus Germany, along with the team’s celebrations at the Ernst Happel Stadium, and then later back on home soil celebrating in front of hundreds of thousands ecstatic fans. “In the run-up to the game versus Germany I was asked what would I give to score in the final. My reply was simple, anything. I could never have imagined that, that very sane night, my strike would help Spain to the title. It would have been impossible to have envisaged so much joy and celebration. Everyone in Spain, and all of you, deserved the victory.” “Following the success and celebrations at youth level, our football needed to lift a championship trophy, and the moment arrived at Vienna. I believe that the victory was well deserved. The best team does not always win, but this time they did. It was a team effort and a victory which belongs to a united country.” “The achievement is not just down to this side, but to everyone in Spain, and also for football. We won because we did not just sit back and wait. We set our sights on winning the tournament from the very first minute against Russia in our opening group game.” “I would like to dedicate the victory to Doctor Genaro Borras because he also played a role in the title victory. Unfortunately he is no longer with us, and could not share the joy and happiness we all felt, though he is still in our hearts. A special mention should also go to David Villa who had an excellent Euro 2008, but had to miss the final through injury. Unfortunately, these things happen in sport.” “It is not easy trying to explain how we won. There are a lot of reasons, but the team-work and unity were key. Everyone has played their part, regardless of the minutes they enjoyed out on pitch. Those members of the national team set-up who did not play, also collaborated and contributed to our Euro triumph.” “The players have all matured since our appearance at the World Cup in Germany. We arrived for the European Championships with more experience and matches under our belt. What we lacked against France two years ago, we displayed against Italy in the quarterfinals.” “The victory over Italy in the penalty shoot-out was an important morale-boast for everyone before the semis, and the final in Vienna. Luis Aragones could see how the win affected us, and he transmitted to everyone his winning character so as to help us through any difficult moments.” “Just hours before kick-off, we were not fully conscious of the importance of the game going into Sunday's clash. We were far away from home, somewhat isolated, and we did not know how people were following the tournament back home. We saw some images which caught our attention. The footage showed how the whole county was behind their team. My friends also called to tell me what was going on back in Spain.” “The welcome we received is something that will stay with me for ever. It was just amazing to see fans line every street and corner, cheering on their national team as they passed-by. Our final port of call, Plaza Colon, was something else…” “This past season has been perfect. A dream year. The only 'but' was the Champions League defeat with Liverpool. But the bad taste that the semifinal loss left behind, was washed away with the European Championship triumph.” “I have felt what every footballer wants to experience, to be a part of important games. It is something that I have always wished for, and I have been luckily enough to win that important game, and to lift the European Championship Cup with Spain.” “Oh, I have not talked about the goal! Well, it came about following a great pass from Xavi. The defender was too confident, or maybe a bit too relaxed, and it gave me enough time and space to lift the ball over the on-rushing Lehmann…” HEARTLESS18, thanks a lot for these Bahamas pics! I've never seen them before.

No, these pics were made before Euro. Unfortunately we don't have some new pics...Tomorrow will be the 1st pre-season friendly game of the season, Liverpool vs Tranmere Rovers at 3 p.m. So I hope we'll have some new photos Maybe smb knows, guys, is it possible to see tomorrow game somewhere on-line? Because here, in Russia, I'm afraid we don't have such the channel which will show this... I love the last pic with Olalla! She's so beautiful here!!! They both are beautiful as well as their looks, their poses...Great photo!

Funny training with Pepe Reina (Liverpool)

freefall, thanks a lot for these number of great pics!)) And more about training

You're welcome, girls! Mmm, what the pics! I love these final game of Euro! I love these emotional moments! Happy Spanish team, happy Nando Thanks sweetspice for reminding

Disagree I think it's better when he's with long, coloured hair. It seems more naturally with his freckles And with short hair Nando's like 17-year old teenager

Some more pics from Miami

One of the best world musicians ever! His voice, his songs, and when he plays a guitar...mmm... I adore John and his music! Now my favourite songs of his are "Belief" and "Say". They're great! Thanks a lot girls for all the pics and videos

Yeah, you're right Until there's an official confirmation of this (or another) news, we cannot say anything precisely. But I'm afraid if Andrei will transfer to Chelsea or another European big club, he will not play as the first team player, but will be in reservation...I wouldn't what this to happen. Because he deserves better.

One more beautiful photoshoot!

Training in Liverpool

Always welcome And some more.

Pics Hypnotizing a ball

L’Equipe sees Fernando Torres as the favourite for the 'Ballon d’Or' Following on from France Football’s news story, the Spanish and Liverpool striker tops a list of five players for the coveted trophy. Fernando Torres has been listed as favourite for the 2008 ‘Ballon d’Or’. The 24-year-old striker, who had an excellent debut season for Liverpool, scoring 33 goals in all competitions, was also decisive for Spain at the recent European Championships. The forward scored the winner in the 1-0 final win over Germany in Vienna. French magazine ‘L'Equipe’ praised the Spanish forward following a superb season for both club and country, calling Fernando the ‘L'Enfant-Roi’, the ‘Boy King’. ‘L'Equipe’ went on to describe the striker’s past year, before concluding that the forward is close to ‘finding’ gold. “The ‘Kid’ has become the best of forwards. Torres was decisive in the European Championship Final, finishing a brilliant piece of skill with a clinical finish to earn Spain the title. The trophy is his first in professional football and comes on the back of a perfect year at Liverpool with 33 goals to his name, and a Championship League semifinal. The most expensive Spanish footballer ever, deserves gold.” The next name down on the list after Fernando Torres is Cristiano Ronaldo, followed by Fernando’s Spanish team-mate Iker Casillas, then Andrei Arhsavin, and finally Lionel Messi. According to ‘L’Equipe’ Torres is favourite to lift the trophy, and if successful, the striker would become the first Spaniard since former Inter and Barcelona legend Luis Suarez in 1960. Suarez also collected two second placed awards (1961 and 1964) and a Bronze award in 1965. Following Spain’s 44 year wait for a major international trophy, this year may also see Spain end a 48 year wait for the ‘Ballon d’Or’. My congratulations to Nando!!!!)))

Thank you for the latest airport pics, sweetspice I like his dressing style! So casual And one more portion of photos I adore the 1st pic))) He's like a child (El Nino ))

Latest news! OMG London. Daily Mirror: Abramovich bought Arshavin for "Chelsea" for 12 mlns GBP "Chelsea"'s holder and the chairman of "National football academy" Roman Abramovich made a 12 mlns GBP proposal to "Zenit" for forward of Russian football team Andrei Arshavin, British "Daily Mirror" writes. "Zenit" accepted this proposal, and now 27-year-old forward must go to London for making a private contract with Abramovich's team. The paper informs that Arshavin wanted to play in Spain very much, but he considers that English football is much suitable to his style. There is a version that Roman Abramovich, who wants his compatriot to play in the first team of "Chelsea", is an additional reason of Arshavin's transfer to that team. Earlier it was announced that Spanish "Barcelona" made a 15 mlns Euro proposal to "Zenit" to buy Arshavin. Andrei says that his dream is to play in "Barcelona". But the leaders of "Gazprom", who owns "Zenit" earlier said about their intentions to keep the forward for Russian team and do not sell him to foreign clubs. If it's true I'm in shock...Andrei playing for "Chelsea"...hmmm...I think it's not good for him. But it's only my opinion of course. I don't like this team and didn't want to see Andrei as a member of it...

And about El Nino's tatoo on his hand. I actually didn't know that it's written his name in elf language beautiful and original idea)) Nando with kids P.S. According to different sources Nando and Olalla spent in Miami only 2 days in their own house and then they went back to Liverpool. Very short holiday

Sorry for so many posts successively I just wanted to separate different kind of pics and articles. HQ Nando's training in Liverpool pics And Nando's quiz (made before he left Atletico Madrid for Liverpool). Some points are very interesting and were new for me. 1) Merit: Sincerity. 2) Demerit: I'm a little bit indeterminate. 3) Music: National pop-rock. *odd kind of music * 4) Singer: Bumbury. 5) Musical band: El Canto del Loco. 6) Last CD: En Directo of El Canto del Loco. 7) Actor: Martin Lawrence. *also Roberto Benigni* 8) Actress: Jennifer Aniston. *and I've heard that his favourite actress is Paz Vega* 9) Movie: 'La vida es bella' (Life is beautiful). 10) Last seen movie: 'Amor Perverso' (Perverted love). 11) Painter: Picasso. 12) Book: 'Quien se ha llevado mi queso'. 13) Food: Sea food. 14) Beverage: Pepsi. 15) The most sexy woman: My bride. 16) Does she usually take an initiative: Always. 17) What about forgiveness? I forgive, but don't forget. 18) Historic monument: Santiago Cathedral. 19) Country: Spain. 20) Your advice: Follow your dream. 21) Your father's advice: Be yourself. 22) Your mother's advice: Be yourself. 23) When did your mom see you last time on TV? In video of "Canto del Loco". 24) The most important gift of life: health. 25) Last time you cried: When my grandad Eulalio died. 26) You cannot live without... My family. 27) The happiest day of your life: When I won The European under-16 Championship. 28) The saddest day of your life: When my grandad died. 29) Car: Ferrari. 30) Whom would you like to meet? Michael Jordan. 31) Do you feel ok handling with computer? No problem. 32) Do you use Internet? A little. 33) Excisting football is a business, sport or show? Business. 34) Does football need sports media? No. 35) Do you listen to radio broadcasts? No. 36) I'm in the best club in the world because...This is my dream. 37) You devote your goals to: Victims of terrorism. 38) Stadium: Old Trafford. 39) Coach: Abraham Garcia. 40) Who brought you to football? My brother Israel. 41) Who presented you the first ball? My father. 42) Best city: Madrid. 43) Another sport: Billiards. *good kind of sport actually I thought he could answer "basketball", 'cause he mentioned Michael Jordan as a person whom Nando'd like to meet with* 44) Goalkeeper: Buffon. 45) Defender: Maldini. 46) Half-back: Ronaldino. 47) Forward: Henry. 48) Best football player ever: Maldini. 49) Idol: Kiko. 50) Barcelona or Real Madrid: Barcelona. 51) Color: Red. 52) Woman name: Olalla. *so sweet * 53) Man name: Diego. 54) Number: 14. 55) Meat or fish? Meat. *real man * 56) Belive in God? Sometimes. * * 57) Pet: Dog. 58) Do you have dogs? Yes, 2. 59) Sea or earth? Sea. 60) When did you last use public conveyances? Recently. 61) Classical or modern dress? Modern. P.S. Oh Gosh, I've just realized that Nando looks almost like my ex-boyfriend...)))

Another absolutely great article (it's not fresh but nevertheless very interesting, funny and cute )!!! This is ‘The Kid' EDUARDO J. CASTELAO Liverpool.- A few hours after extending Liverpool’s stay in the ‘Champions’ with his first two goals in the competition, Fernando Torres talks about his experiences in the city and the club that have got him feeling over the moon. The city awoke with a hangover, thirsty for water the day after a joyful Wednesday night. It’s already Thursday on the clock in Matthew Street, the street that ends at the doors of The Cavern, the heart of Liverpool. A little bit down the road, in a pub called The Grapes, the last group of supporters still on their feet down the remaining pints of ale left over from the previous night. They propose a toast in hopes that the team qualifies to the knockout stages, for Benitez, for who they’re still singing, and they also toast for a new idol. A few hours later, a deceptive sun shines over the city, a mirage that fails to appease the frozen winds that force us to find the refuge of the purple seats inside the coffee shop in the Malmaison Hotel, in sight of the Mersey, distraught by the conditions. Fernando Torres orders a cappuccino and reads one of the headlines on an English paper. “Take that to the bank: lethal Fernando Torres shows the value of money”, says The Times. “Brings to mind some very special moments”, he declares in order to explain the most recent sensations, warm messages from his friends in the mobile phone, his first CL goal, another dream materialized, another station in his journey. “To score in that goal is something…incredible. I don’t know, it’s special. You are on the pitch, see ‘The Kop’ and it never ends. It was a special match, with the sort of feelings that you never forget”. He plays with the wristbands of his black sweater, which has very little in common with his trainers, that are white with green and orange stripes, we all have our own taste. And he speaks, talks about the previous night, of his new city, of the house and car he bought, of his English, of fame, his hobbies…of his life, a life where everything has changed. Everything but himself because Torres, Fernando, is still the same lad. Happier, but the same. He speaks with devotion about Mascherano, the man that brings balance to a system where five players defend and another five attack, himself in included, top scorer(10) on a different team. “Liverpool are not so well liked in England and that’s it. It’s the team with the most titles, with the most supporters but they haven’t been able to transmit what it is all about”, he says, and those words are useful to explain what has been going on with Benitez these past few days. He says that everything was blown out of proportion, that the tabloids don’t approach 50% of the truth, and that the manager must not leave. “How is he going to leave? The people yesterday [Wednesday] passed their judgment”. In the past few hours he has tended to every Spanish radio station, all with his usual good manners, the same which have, for the time being, made him avoid the post-match press area. After the match against Porto, he greeted the English reporters. By January, when he feels more comfortable, the language won’t be an obstacle any longer. ‘It’s taken me a while to speak in the dressing room because I’ve been embarrassed to do so’ The reason why this afternoon, Thursday, he has classes with Rob, his professor, “an avid Liverpool supporter”, who visits his home in Woolton, next in line to Pepe Reina’s. “At first I didn’t understand a single word, I was clueless”, and the laughter escapes his mouth, bringing back to mind certain situations and reminding him, again of his team’s goalkeeper. “He’s a w…It’s taken me a while to speak in the dressing room because, every time I tried to in front of the other Spaniards, there was Pepe laughing and taking the piss. Of course, I would’ve liked to have seen him when he first arrived!”. He also laughs because, he says, he’s learning ‘bad’ English, he means the ‘scouser’ accent, unintelligible the first few days, “and on top of that they speak at 2000 words per second. I thought to myself: check out the problems I’m going to cause”. But watching ‘Friends’ in it’s original version- “I already know the dialogues in Spanish so that helps”-and Rob’s recommended lectures have made him “another English lad”. “Now I know I’m saying things the right way”. He has no alternative. If Benitez catches them speaking Spanish in the dressing room, school rules. “You, over there, and you, the other way”, he says, although it is difficult not to speak Spanish in a place where 12 members of the squad are able to. He dresses next to Gerrard and Voronin, and recalls the first training session, a slap of reality. “I didn’t know what was going on to begin with. And then you find yourself sitting there with your kit on, in a new place and think: ‘kinell!, I’m really here, and this will be my home for many years to come”. So much so that he’s decided to buy a home. Zenden left the team and Torres kept his house. For various reasons. First, because he liked the area but also because he’s next to Pepe Reina, whom he keeps speaking of, this time in a more serious tone: “Without him my adaptation would not have been the same. He’s always been there for me and when you arrive at a new club that is priceless”. And also because his girlfriend, Olalla, who came with him to Liverpool –and who he admits, has grasped the language better than him- has found in Yolanda, Pepe’s wife, a good friend. Oh, of course, and he also picked a big house with a backyard for ‘Pomo’ and ‘Llanta’. Those names – “Fit them very well”- refer to the couple of bulldogs he is expecting in a couple of months. The same dogs that he was walking when he received Rafa Benitez’s call. “Here it takes seven months for the dogs to arrive. We have to fill out papers, and have them take blood tests, and then quarantine…it’s a pain” but they will end up with their owner, surely and will enjoy it more relaxed and more calm. Everything is new. Seven years in Madrid, the learned paths of memory, the customs, the schedules, the troubles, of the press, of the people, impossible to drink a cup of coffee, a pint, absolutely nothing in a public place, if any at all, very few, in Majadahonda. Nothing like this. “I can do things normally, be normal! Here you leave the training session and forget everything until the next day. You can take a walk in the street, go to a shopping centre…”which he already knows by the way, Met Quarter in the centre or the Trafford Center, in the way to Manchester, the biggest in Europe. He still looks surprised when he recalls the day he realized all these things. “Pepe and I were having dinner at Piccolino, an Italian restaurant. There was a girl who wouldn’t stop looking at us, but when she was done eating she left. Well, when we were leaving, an hour and a half later, the girl was outside at the door waiting for us, freezing to death, with a shirt in her hands for us to sign it. She waited until we were done eating…Incredible”. Specially for someone who was had to leave a shopping centre in Madrid through the back door. “People ask me: do you miss Madrid? And I tell them ‘But Madrid for me was being at home exclusively!’”. And now it is his and Reina’s but because they choose to. They invite Mikel Arteta to their board game parties, boys against girls, which go all the way til midnight. There are rifts, “although us boys always end up winning”, he says, a fact we were not able to confirm. He eagerly awaits the Christmas season, another discovery for him, his family will arrive on the 25th, his girlfriend’s on New Years, because this platoon get no vacations, because of football and because he will be finishing the intensive course on ‘bricolage’[do-it-yourself] that he’s taking. By force. At the best shops, the furniture is very expensive but they don’t build them at home for you. “They just drop 30 boxes and say go on, build it yourself. Of course, what happens then is that the shelves don’t open all the way, the doors don’t close right…”. At the beginning of the week he placed a big order at El Corte Inglés, canned goods and such, some ham also, the mandatory food dressings for the Atletico-watching dinners. “Today [on Thursday] we have a dinner to watch the game”, he announces shortly before starting the photo session, shivering in the cold, dying to get in his Audi Q7, picked after the club let him try a Range Rover, an X5, an ML…The Audi has the wheel on the right side, and that is also a problem, although not as big now, “before I would drive down the middle in between the tracks causing scenes…”. “At the club they are always looking out for you. You only need to focus on football”, and the video recorder goes off while Torres, ‘The Kid’, looks at the video tape recorder and a truck driver honks the horn, while a girl pulls out her mobile phone from inside her car. “Only football”, he insists and he ends by saying: “The Champions League games have a far more beautiful atmosphere, because they’re played at night. Matches like the one yesterday are the types of matches you die to play in. But I’ll add, the match I would most like to play, my best match, is still to come”. Signed: A very happy lad. Original (In Spanish) http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2007/...1196452785.html And photos to this article:

TVG remembers one of their ‘favourite’ summer visitors Following Spain’s Euro 2008 victory, Galicia Television takes a fond look at the influence of Fernando at ‘his’ Estorde Beach. From the early age of 8, Fernando Torres was a regular visitor to the North West of Spain. The national hero from the 2008 European Championship final used to spend his summers with his family in Cee, Galicia. Estorde beach was one of the striker’s popular haunts, and Fernando could be regularly found with a ball at his feet playing with his friends along the La Coruña coast. Fernando Torres has always been a popular figure in Galicia and following the Euro 2008 trophy success, local television station TV Galicia carried out a special report about the striker. The video mixed interviews with locals and friends, photos of Fernando on holiday and images of children looking to follow in the forward’s footsteps. On Fernando's official site (latest news) you can enjoy TV Galicia’s video By the way, I've read what means the tatoo on Nando's right leg: these numbers are the date of his first date with Olalla I don't know if it's true or not.