If is not Ronaldino it is Nadal

The Spanish love their sports, and none more than football (soccer). We are drawing to the end of the soccer season and there is just one more week of interclub matches. There is a game on each weekend and lots of talkback and sports shows where everyone gets a chance to have their say. There is one show called ‘Don’t tell me…' (that you don’t like football). The second part of the name is not even used usually. There was almost rioting in the streets when Ronaldino was sent off a couple of games ago. The bars all televise the games and the atmosphere is almost as tense as being at the the game itself. Ronaldino does his share of TV ads, complete with mum and brother. The local tourist shops do a roaring trade of number 10 Barcelona soccer shirts. Sometimes you see a whole family of them!

Barcelona have two soccer teams. Barca (pronounced Barsa) and Espanyol which sounds like a spanish team and had us confused for a while until someone explained to us it was a local, home-grown Barcelona team. Everyone follows the soccer and it is important to have a favourite team and follow it religiously.

At the moment we are watching Nadal and Federer play the Roland Garros final. Rafa as he is affectionately called here is looking the strongest at the moment. The locals will be very happy tomorrow if he wins. He is their golden-haired boy who can do no wrong, and features in a series of TV commercials for Cacaulaut – (like Milo) and Nike and maybe some others too. He is in huge posters around the city and over the cover of magazines and newspapers all the time …. that is when the limelight is not taken by Ronaldino.

PS: Rafa won – so everyone will be in high spirits tomorrow.