Jump to: Real Madrid have the second leg | Athletic Bilbao's musical mission | Georgina Rodriguez pranked by TV host
Adidas' latest marketing campaign for the Predator 20+ Mutator is pretty good. The idea is simple, according to their Twitter advert: "Has a team-mate let you down? Whatsapp PRED to 07444 081 752 now and we'll send you one of London's best ballers in their place."
"One of London's best ballers" ... or, y'know, a Ballon d'Or, World Cup, Serie A and La Liga winner, and one of the best players to have ever laced up their boots.
Former AC Milan, Real Madrid, Orlando and Brazil playmaker Kaka was that player on Saturday as he turned up for a 6-a-side game in Hoxton, London. And, by all accounts, he seemed to do pretty well.
2 Goals, 2 assists & yes I got nutmegged 🤷🏻♂ - great day in London. @adidasUK #Predator pic.twitter.com/JursyGf39D
— Kaka (@KAKA) February 8, 2020
Though, clearly he should have cut the ball back to his teammate instead of blasting it into the top corner.
Fair play to the lad for trying, "KAKA .... KAKA ... CUTBACK ... Oh ...."
Unsurprisingly, Kaka was the star of the show and helped his team (the aptly named Reach Out FC) to a 4-2 victory from 2-1 down. The 37-year-old bagged two goals and an assist to hand them the win in a game their players will never forget.
The most memorable moment, though, might have come from opponents Hackney Wick FC.
@hackneywickfc left back and one of our longest serving players @jamboyfresh nutmegs the legend @kaka in Hackney 💥All my guys are ballers pic.twitter.com/ks7EB6z5Fz
— Hackney Wick FC (@HackneyWickFC) February 8, 2020
Not many folks can claim to have nutmegged a Ballon d'Or winner.
Real Madrid have the second leg ... or do they?
The Copa del Rey (live on ESPN+) has earned rave reviews this season for a new format that has seen a series of upsets, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and holders Valencia all knocked out this week.
It seems not everyone is up to speed with the changes, though -- which include one-off games replacing two-legged ties until the semifinals.
This Real Madrid fan was interviewed on Spanish TV leaving the Bernabeu after their 4-3 defeat to Real Sociedad on Thursday, sounding surprisingly optimistic.
- Stream Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona replay (U.S. only)
- Stream Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad replay (U.S. only)
"We've got the second leg, but it's tough," he told them.
"What second leg? It's a one-off game!" the bemused reporter was forced to reply, before explaining the new rules.
Al Madrid le queda partido de vuelta, ¿o no? 🤷♂️ Este aficionado confiaba en la remontada cuando salía del Bernabéu... No sabía que la Copa era a partido único 🤔😟😳https://t.co/394j2U7wAq pic.twitter.com/7jrS25cdbS
— Deportes Cuatro (@DeportesCuatro) February 7, 2020
"No. ... But the quarterfinals are over two legs! Are you serious?" said the confused Madridista, who must have felt Real Sociedad's raucous celebrations at the final whistle were somewhat premature.
"We'll go for the league and the Champions League then," he concluded, presumably hoping that there are no unexpected rule changes to worry about there.
Athletic Bilbao's musical mission
You might dream of being a footballer or a rock star ... but what if you could be both? Athletic Bilbao's Dani Garcia has revealed that he and five teammates have started a band -- and it sounds like they're taking it pretty seriously.
"It started as a joke in preseason," the midfielder told Onda Cero radio. "But then we rented a space and started teaching ourselves. We love music and we're really motivated. We see the group as having a future."
The band -- called Orsai, which is "Offside" in Spanish -- is made up of Garcia, who is the drummer, defenders Oscar de Marcos, Inigo Lekue and Mikel Balenziaga, midfielder Mikel Vesga and forward Asier Villalibre, who sings.
They have hired a music teacher and now boast eight songs in their repertoire.
"We can imagine the six of us in a van going to play shows," Garcia added. "We're debating starting an Instagram account. Most of us want to. We'll put on a concert for the team at the end of the season. Playing at San Mames [Athletic's stadium] would be amazing!"
Georgina Rodriguez pranked by TV host
Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, was on hosting duties as the 70th Sanremo Music Festival was held in Italy on Thursday night.
With her partner in the front row, Rodriguez performed on stage before being subjected to a prank by her mischievous co-host, presenter Amadeus.
Appearing to be wearing a Juventus shirt under his blazer, Amadeus began to serenade Rodriguez, only to reveal that he was secretly wearing an Inter Milan shirt with "Lukaku" on the back.
Amadeus then made amends by presenting Ronaldo with a replica Juve shirt, which earned him both a good-natured hug and a thumbs-up from the Portuguese star.
Lovely stuff.