#sevilla you will pay for what you did today

[himejoshibutch]

just end the fucking season man i don't want to watch anything anymore

[callmeunstable]

Angels & Demons - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Characters: Reader, Godling, Savilla

Summary: Alva tries her best to adapt to her current lifestyle. Savilla helps her by teaching her the ways around this world. But some dangerous forces are on their way. And a familiar face shows up.

Warnings: Monsters, Cursing, Blood

Words: 2.000+

A/N: Hey! This is the third part of my fic. I accidentally deleted this part as well as the second part so I had to reupload. I hate myself and I cried .

Disclaimer: GIF’s and PNG’s are taken from Tumblr and are not mine! Credits to the creators!

Tags: @marvelbrat @charliestuff

Song: I thought this fitted the scenery

Alva adapted slowly. It was important that if she wanted to pass as a villager she had to develop. Where she came from, who her parents were and why she came.

And they came up with an easy background story. Alva was the daughter of two Medics, Drarnoz and Isada of Verden. Verden is one of the minor kingdoms in the North, located at the very mouth of the river Yaruga, with Kerack and Brokilon on its northern borders and Cintra in the south, just on the other side of the river. After her parents died in a brutal raid of their village Alva sought a sanctuary by a family friend Savilla living in Riverdell. She took the orphan in.

James brought Alva the Ducates he had collected over the years which made up a small fortune. He promised to bring her every coin he’ll find in the future.

That’s how Alva started her life in a small village. Savilla had an extra bed for her and she didn’t mind sharing her food and clothes.

“You are pretty bad at healing you know that? You’ve been here for almost a month.” Savilla always made fun of the way the girl was bandaging or trying to figure out which plant was good for the specific treatment.

“I just don’t understand how you can separate all of these. They look all the same.” Alva sighed and took a seat. Trying to figure out which herbs were able to calm a burn.

“This isn’t your desire and I get it. It’s not your fault. And I maybe have something set up for you.” The mage smirked while she picked big orange blossoms from her garden. “Merigold, Alva. One of the herbs that can potentially save lives.”

“Don’t change the subject. What did you do?” The girl gave her a doubtful look while watching her picking even more blossoms.

“The tavern in the village. They need a servant. The old one got scared off because the olds kept trying to seduce her and she felt uncomfortable. But I figured you’d be perfect for the job.” She walked inside with a full basket in her hands.

“Are you insulting me or what are you trying to say?” Alva hurried after her, stumbling while getting up.

“You need to get better at walking when you want to serve the folks.” The maid laughed and started to cut the flowers into small pieces.

“But to get back to your question, no. But you are tough and have a huge temperament. Exactly what a good servant needs. The old douches won't have it easy with you.”

Alva let out a loud sigh.

“And I should warn you. They acquire you to look … a certain way.”

“I’m not going to dress like slut and shake my booty.”

“Yes…alright. Anyway, that was not what I was trying to say. They want you to wear your hair down and a dress that will make you look pretty but still can get stained.”

“That’s fine by me but why exactly do they want me to keep my hair down?”

“Maybe they liked it. You know the time we got some bread? That’s when the tavern owner offered me this position.”

The girl hummed in agreement.

“They’ll pay you well. You need that money if you want to find a way back. Mages aren’t cheap. They usually work for kings and queens.” Sevilla stopped with the chopping and went still for a couple of seconds. Her gaze went up and she looked Alva straight into the eyes. She hated that look. It never meant something good.

“You want me to find a different mage?” The girl was confused. How was she supposed to find one? She has no contacts whatsoever and it’s not like she could call the information desk to give her a number.

“I’m not sure who I want you to find for now. It's dangerous out there. I need to find out who I can trust with you. I don’t want you to get captured.” The mage was serious. She liked the girl and felt the urge to protect her. She was sure it was her duty in this life. To help this girl around her world and keeping her safe until she found a way to get back.

“Why would they? I mean I’m not that special and I pretty got at acting old like you.”

“I know. But if they see anything strange in you, just some glance. They don’t need a good reason anymore to imprison the people. It’s getting rough out here. Cintra will lose the next battle. Nobody in this kingdom wants to hear it but you can feel the tension in the air. The Niflgaards are coming and we need to be prepared when they do.”

“Are they like Germany in the Second World War?”

“You do know that I have no information about that.”

“Let me explain. World War II was a global war involving fighting in most of the world and most countries. Like shit went down. Most of the world's countries, including all the great powers in our world, fought as part of two military alliances. They fucking hated each other. World War II was the largest and deadliest conflict in all of our history. It involved more countries, cost more money, involved more people, and killed more people than any other war in our history. About 80 million people died. It included massacres, the Holocaust, strategic bombing, starvation, disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons against civilians in history. Like they could fly bombs from one country to the other through the air and just let them explode wherever they wanted to. It was horrible but I wasn’t alive when that happened.”

The mage had listened carefully only to realize that their worlds aren't that different. “You have to understand that the Nilfgaardian Empire is the most powerful in the history of the known world. It is located in the southern part of the Continent and boasts both a thriving economy and a strong, well-trained army with talented commanders.

It has expanded mostly through the conquest of foreign countries, which were then turned into provinces of the Empire. The Empire's inhabitants believe that "real" Nilfgaardians are only those born in the heart of the Empire and not those born in the conquered provinces. All of them are ruthless. Killing anyone and anything that’ll come in their way. We need to be careful and prepared.”

“So you think they’ll just walk in here like they own this place.” The girl felt she was pulled into something like Lord of the Rings style. Everyone wants to kill the other race. What was happening in this world?

“They won’t pretend that they own these lands, they will fight until they own the whole continent. Saying they want to protect the citizens but slaughter the like an animal for fun. I want you to be prepared that not everyone in our world will respect you, especially because you’re a woman. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Sevilla meant every word she said.

“That’s why I want you to be protected. Here.” She opened the wooden closet and pulled out a silky cloth. “Take it, I have my own. And I won’t need it, I still have the chaos inside of me that’ll help me if needed. I hope you never need it.”

Alva received the loth and lifted the cloth. Underneath there was bedded a silver dagger. It was heavy, but still manageable with one hand.

“Come on, I’m not going to stab anybody. This is not Assasin’s Creed.” She held up the dagger and inspected the weapon. It was beautiful, looking exactly like something a video game character would keep under their robe.

“I’m not joking around Alva! I want you to work so we have enough Ducates in the case of an emergency. If you’re not willing to protect your one life no one else will. I can protect you as far as my power goes but everything is limited. At this point, you don’t have a choice. If you want to get back to your world you need to adapt completely! Do you understand?” Sevilla handed her a scabbard possibly fitting for the dagger.

“No need to be rude.” Alva took and let the weapon slide smoothly into it.

“Attach it to your belt. It's best if you keep it on you at all times. Even while you sleep.”

The girl nodded and pulled her dress up to gain access to the pants she was always wearing underneath. She tied it around her waist and let loose of her dress.

“I understand but I hope I’ll never have to use it.”

“Me neither.”

-

The next weeks went on smoothly. Alva tried her best to lie to herself. If she realized that she left her entire family and friends behind, everything she loved. She didn’t know if she could handle the pain and panic that would appear again. She remembered her first week here. It was exhausting. She didn’t want to stand up and live in a world she didn’t belong. The only thing keeping her from ending it all was the promise Sevilla gave her.

She will bring her back. No matter what is going to happen. She’ll find a way out. And if she could get back, she can’t give up. That wasn’t an option. But she couldn’t think about it anymore. The pain that would crawl up into her chest even if she only thought about it for a second. It was unbearable.

Alva tried to act like new her role this life. At least for now. Her dad was Drarnoz of Verden and her mother was Isada of Verden. She was an orphan. Currently serving at the tavern where she was allowed to live with a family friend. Sevilla. That’s all she needed to remember.

Usually, no one asked about her past. That wasn’t a thing in this village. As soon as Alva said the word ‘orphan’ no more questions were asked.

She liked her job at the tavern. It was an easy way to meet new people and experience the world fully. Adapting day by day. But still being herself. Everyone loved the way she talked. Foolish but skeptical. No man was able to win her or flirt with her. She shut them down real quick.

Today was such a day

It was an afternoon and everyone was ending their work for the day coming to the tavern to get a well-deserving drink and sometimes a meal, but Alva knew by experience you shouldn’t eat the food of this tavern. Dossar, the owner, didn’t know how to cook but he surely wasn’t giving up on an opportunity of getting more money.

The folks around the area knew never to ask for a meal but it was always a pleasure to see the look on a travelers' face.

Alva was serving everyone with a kind smile but some men interpret this as a sign to flirt with her. Woldor, a farmer, decided to try his luck today. He was trying to gain her attention by whistling at her and holding up his cup of beer. Only for her to come and check if he needed a refill. But at his point, she was ignoring his calls and gestures.

But the man didn’t stop. So Alva thought it was her time to shine.

“I’m not an animal! You can’t win my attention by whistling at me and calling me with sloppy pick-up lines! Cut it before I start acting like one.”

“I’ve never been threatened so adorably before.” Woldor and the men sitting beside him star to burst out into laughter and continued drinking.

“Yes well, I’m about to adorably kick your fucking arse.” The laughter silenced and the men stared at the girl.

“This isn’t going to end well is it?” Her coworker Cozlo walked up to her and tried to calm her down, by laying his arm around her shoulder. Alva liked him. He was a good friend and was amazing at keeping her out of trouble when she had a tantrum. This was one of them.

“Fuck no.” The girl wanted to jump at the man and rip his eyes out. He was the one that couldn’t take no for an answer. He was harassing her since the day she started to work as a servant.

Getting ready to throw some punches Cozlo grabbed her by her waist and picked her up.

“Let me down! Let me show this bitch what my adorable hand can do around his throat! I want to see if he still thinks their pretty when I choke him!”

“I think I’m in love with you my dear!” Woldor called out for her while sipping on his beer.

“That’s fucking unfortunate!” Alva was yelling across the tavern while trying to fight her way out of Cozlo's grip.

“You are significantly more destructive than I was anticipating.” That was Cozlo's response after Alva successfully freed herself and was ready to throw fists.

“Enough!” The dark voice of Dossar echoed between the walls. “Woldor get your arse out of here before I tell your wife that you're harassing my servant again!” The tall and bear-like built man stepped in front of the counter and was ready to throw him out with his own hands.

“Can’t take a goddamn joke, can ya?” The farmer grumbled some swearings under his breath and tossed his payment on the table before leaving the bar with his men.

“Next time leave a fucking tip, bastard.”, Alva shouted out through one of the windows and held up her middle finger. “Fuck that dude.”

“You did well Alva, let me admit that.” Dossar gave her a thumbs up and headed back to the kitchen area.

The conflict calmed down and the girl started to clean the table the men had left as a mess. Scrubbing the sticky beer of the top.

“May I compliment you on your skill of handling this rude of a man, my beautiful Lady.”

Alva turned around and in front of her stood unmistakably a bard. The usual costume they were wearing gave it away in an instant. But the lute that was strapped on his back made it even clearer. The man wasn’t older than probably 30 years old. His clothing had seen better days and his brown hair was all messed up.

“Thanks, I guess.” The girl wasn’t in the mood for a conversation so she continued scrubbing the table.

“My name is Jaskier if I may introduce myself. I’m the new bard in town.”

“What brings a bard like you in a village like this?”

“I expected a job, which was me kindly offered by the master of this tavern. A nice man. Allowed me to show off my talent every evening.”

“Good for you Jaskier.” She wasn’t trying to be mean but the bard was definitely flirting and she just wasn’t in the mood for another thirsty mean.

“That makes us workmates if I’m not mistaken? I look forward to seeing more of you…?” It was obvious that he waited for her name and the girl let out her sigh while turning toward him.

“Jaskier, I don’t mean to be rude but I had men trying to marry me at least 4 times today. And a dozen of them were just trying to bring me to bed. So please, if you stop that flirty behavior I will see you as my workmate and friend. But that’s all I can offer.

“Of course, Alva. I didn’t mean to upset you in any way. I’m glad I found a friend already. My last company wasn’t that welcoming.” A half-hearted smile was on his face and he scratched the back of his head.

“Why? Were you trying to flirt with them too?” Alva smirked and put her hand friendly on the shoulder of Jaskier.

“Oh no. Trust me. That would have been very … disturbing, may I say so. I see around Alva.”

“Yes, Jaskier. I’ll see you around.”

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Twelve Days of Holly Jolly Tidings - Day 7

You can read the previous entries here! 

Disclaimers: I watched “Dash & Lily” the other day on Netflix. This story is LOOSELY based on that book and Netflix series.  I do not own “Dash and Lily” or Newsies or anything recognizable within the series.  There are occasional curse words throughout the series, nothing too horrible but there’s some.  

Thursday, December 19 

Groaning, her eyes caught the time, 3:15 in the afternoon. Her day had been anything but easy and it was nearing the end of the day. Dropping her pen, she sat back in her chair, hands behind her head as she stretched her back. 

“Have time for a break?” A voice called from the doorway. 

Grinning, she motioned Darcy to come in. “Hey stranger . . . long time no see. Where have you been hiding?” 

“I’m undercover for a story.” He took a seat in the chair across from her desk. “I just had to stop by here to grab some things and drop this off.” 

She watched as he pulled the green notebook from his pocket. “So you’re the lucky soul that gets to bring it to me today?”

“Your boyfriend can be very persuasive when he wants to be.” Darcy grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Apparently I owed him from a few months ago.” 

Kat scoffed. “Don’t like it’s such a chore to come see me. Besides you’ve been the one that has been MIA for the last few weeks.” 

“My apologies, Plums, but you know how undercover life is.” He at least had the decency to look guilty. “I’ve got about a week left of the story then we can hang out.” 

She nodded, grinning. “Sounds like a plan. Any hints on the story?” 

“Nah . . . why would I spoil it for you?” Darcy pushed himself to his feet. “Hey Kat?” 

Picking up the notebook, she looked up at him. “Yeah?”

“You’ve got a good boyfriend right there. He clued me in on what he’s been doing.” Darcy’s face softened as he looked at her. 

She nodded. “Yeah he is. Did he give you any indication on where he’s sending me tonight?” 

“Even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you.” Darcy grinned as she stuck her tongue out at him, him returning the favor to her.  “I should be going. It was good to see you Plums. If I don’t see you, Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Darcy.” She grinned at him as he disappeared from her office. 

Opening up the notebook, she found the correct entry, starting to read it. 

Good afternoon Kat, 

Happy 7th day of Christmas. Are you ready for today’s adventure? 

First, I’ve got a little bit of a backstory for you. Since we started dating five years ago, we’ve been on some pretty epic adventures. The road trip down to Georgia to see some of my relatives, the flights over to Europe, and the days getting lost in whatever city we ended up in. Today’s adventure is going to embody the travels we’ve been on. 

So many times you and I have talked about packing up our lives and leaving the city for new adventures. We’ve dreamed of living in Paris, London, Sevilla, and even Asheville, NC. But I’ve come to realize, wherever I’m with you, I’m home. It doesn’t matter what city we call home, as long as I’m with you, you’re my home, my Santa Fe. 

Today, I’m sending you to 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Get through a few things before continuing to read.  Have fun and go on an adventure today, Kat. 

Closing the notebook, she wiped away the stray tears that had clouded her eyes as she tried to figure out what was at the address Jack had written out.  Typing the address into her maps, she headed to the nearest Subway station, ducking into the underground, quickly paying before finding herself on the platform, waiting for the A Train. Looking further down the platform, she grinned at a little girl bouncing on her toes as she held her mom’s hand. The train came in with a screeching halt, allowing the passengers to quickly exit before others boarded. 

Sitting in her seat, she pulled her back onto her lap, relaxing in the seat as the train took off.  She listened to the hush tones of people talking as she went further into the city.  

Eight stops later, she made her way above ground, pausing only to consult with her Maps app before heading down the street. Before long, her phone alerted her that she had arrived at her destination. Pushing through the door, her eyes swept the nondescript lobby, the only sound she heard was her heels clicking against the sleek floor. 

Arriving at a des, she leaned against it with a grin. An older woman grinned at her.  “Hello. Are you here to visit the museum?” 

“I guess so.” She smiled. “Can you tell me where I am? I was sent here by my boyfriend with no explanation, other than I was going on an adventure today.” 

The woman chuckled, standing from her chair. “I’m going on a limb here but are you Katherine by chance?” 

“I am, Katherine Plumber. Do you know Jack by chance?” Kat inquired, trying to remember if she’s ever met his woman before. 

The woman smiled brightly. “Jack Kelly has been a familiar figure in this building for many years. His father was a subway train conductor, up until his retirement a few years ago. Jack would often come here to meet him after a shift before they walked home together. Jack stopped in a few days ago to give me the heads up that he was sending his girlfriend here for a really good adventure.” 

Kat smiled at her, at how many connections Jack had within the city that she never knew about. “Can you tell me where this is?” 

“Welcome to the New York Transit Museum.” She smiled at Kat. “You’ll have to walk down the two sets of stairs to the museum. Enjoy your time.” 

Kat smiled at her before pushing off the desk, following the instructions the lady had provided. Walking carefully down the stairs, her eyes widened at the display of a train waiting on the platform. 

She made her way through each exhibit, carefully looking at all of the artifacts and information displayed. They had an exhibit on display of six artists and the sketches they had created as they made their way through the different subway stations. She could see the intricate sketches, taking care to draw all the little things, much like Jack had done when he was sketching. 

Finding a bench, she reached into her bag, grabbing the notebook and opening it back up to the section she had been reading. 

So I’m sure you talked with Betty when you got to the museum. She and my dad are long friends, both from their days of being conductors. Oh the stories she could tell you . . . 

We’ve often talked about your favorite places in the city but truth be told, this is a favorite place of mine in the city.  You’re probably wondering why, so I’m going to tell you. You can go countless places anywhere if you only step onto a train platform. This place is the perfect platform for all your hopes, dreams, and wishes, but you first have to find yourself here. You have to make the first move and this place taught me that. I used to meet my dad here after his shift and he’d tell me about the people he saw board his trains that day . . . . and he would tell me about all the hopes, wishes, and dreams that would start, just by being on the platform. 

So it’s your turn . . . . write down all your hopes, wishes, and dreams; nothing is too big, or too small. 

Grabbing a pen from her bag, she clicked it open before swiftly starting to write. She thought back to everything she hoped, wished, and dreamed that would happen, stuff that was locked deep in her heart and some things she had never spoken aloud to anyone.  And one thing that she had confessed to Jack, only when he was asleep, knowing that he hadn’t heard her whisper it. 

Now, all you have to do is step onto the platform, and just start. You can achieve anything you want, Katherine.  As Peter Pan once famously said, "All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust." I’ll give you the faith and trust, you just need the pixie dust - your hopes, wishes, and dreams. 

Wiping away a stray tear, Kat looked up from the book, letting her eyes sweep the exhibit she was in. She wished she could kiss Jack at that moment with how sweet his words were. She knew he always believed in her but to see it in his scrawl and knowing he had all the faith in the world in her, she wanted to hug him and thank him. 

Looking back down at the book, she saw that he had left more for her to discover. 

Now, for your surprise, you’re going to have to put on your detective hat. You need to find a section about 1968. Your surprise awaits you. 

Closing the book, she put it back in her bag, pushing herself off the bench. Her eyes swept the area she was in, not seeing anything about 1968. Looking to her left then her right, she headed towards the right, bringing her into another exhibit room. A retired burgundy train sat to her left as she wandered through the exhibit. She took her time, absorbing all the facts that were laid out in front of her before stopping in front of a display about 1968. 

Her eyes swept the text, grinning as she realized why Jack was so invested in this section of transit history. In 1967 and 1968, the NYC Transit Authority inaugurated a series of new and revised train services collectively known as the Chrystie Street Connection. Enabled by new track connections and tunnels built in Manhattan and Brooklyn between 1957 and 1968, the project created new direct routes for Brooklyn-Manhattan train services and included a new station at Grand Street. 

It was the section of the transit system they took most often when they met up. A lot of their love story took place on the Chrystie Street Connection.  Stepping back from the display, her eyes swept the area for the now familiar box. Grinning, she found it tucked away on the actual subway car. 

Picking up the box, she made her way to a bench, before sitting down and pulling the wrapping paper off of it. 

Opening the lid, she gasped at the charm that was nestled in the cotton, a little red train. She admired it before putting it back in the box., tucking it in her bag. 

Standing, her eyes swept the exhibit, trying to find the perfect place to leave the notebook.  Making her way to the front of the subway car, tucking it on the window still. Making sure it wouldn’t fall, she headed out of the exhibit and towards the exit, only stopping at the desk to relay a message before heading out in the bitterly cold NYC wind. 

Meanwhile

Stepping out of his hiding place, he shook his head at Katherine’s stealthiness. He headed over to the subway train, retrieving the book. Walking over to the bench, he flipped through it, pausing to read what she had written in the book. A smile tugged at his lips as he read all of her hopes, dreams, and wishes - everything from becoming an editor to having children to running away to Paris, France for a few weeks. The last one she had written made him pause in his reading . . . only a few days until that one came true. 

Closing the book with a thud, he made his way out of the museum, only pausing to see Betty. He left with a pep in his step and a mission forming in his head.��

[kiruuuuu]

Blitz/Spectre oneshot in which she and Blitz get a little closer. (Rating T, fluff, ~2.5k words) - written for @ruaniamh​! Thank you again for commissioning me and I’m glad you’re happy with this piece ♥♥ You can find out all about Quinn “Spectre” Roach here! My commission info is over here :) 

.

In a – as Spectre finds – deliciously ironic twist of fate, Blitz fails to react to her approaching due to the blinding light of the afternoon sun.

She’s crouched behind the low wall marking the beginning of the bridge’s balustrade and waiting for her next victim: Mira’s heavy boots gave her away earlier and allowed the Canadian to catch her off-guard, and even Smoke’s lighter steps proved insufficient as Spectre swiftly climbed a tree when she caught a glimpse of him nearing her position. She’s keen on racking up a few more ‘kills’, her competitive spirit awakened by Bandit’s boisterous claims of ending up as the winner and nurtured by the crisp October air.

Ultimately, it’s a child’s game they’re playing, a more advanced tag – they were all given a piece of fabric and told to tuck it into their trousers’ waistbands on their backs, a little like a bright red tail now trailing after them and marking them as potential targets. If someone manages to snatch it from someone else for safekeeping, that someone is out and has to return to base and whoever has collected the most pieces at the end wins. Simple enough, though Sledge claimed it’d serve to test their senses and spatial awareness, challenge their manoeuvring skills and showcase how well they work on their own for once. Spectre, however, suspects that the mild temperature and unimpeded sunshine played a not insignificant role in this decision to allow Rainbow to roam the fields outside of the base freely.

In any case, she’s not complaining, instead she relishes the fresh air and warming rays on her skin, has always liked this mixture as it keeps her focused and cheerful whereas the sweltering summer sun often leaves her content yet tired. Proof of this are the four stripes of cloth in her pocket, courtesy of a lot of stalking around and observing carefully. Some of the others declined the opportunity to swarm out in order to find a suitable starting spot away from everyone else, and instead tackled each other head on right outside the gate like children playing football for the very first time, all clumped up and shouting. Spectre managed to grab Maestro’s fabric before he even joined the fray and was already halfway over the hill before he noticed her demonic cackling was directed at him.

Right now, she’s listening to the gurgling of the small stream next to her and to footfalls probably wishing they were quieter. A quick peek lets her catch a glance of fair hair, golden in this light, sharp cheekbones, a compact silhouette – she doesn’t need more than a fraction of a second to be sure of who it is. She’d recognise him by the sound of his laugh, the adorable cow lick on the back of his head, the unusually shaped birth mark on his wrist.

Don’t turn around, she instructs him silently and almost kicks herself for doing so. They might be impressively in tune for most of the time, but they haven’t figured out telepathy yet. Slowly, she creeps around the solid stone railing, follows him as he steps down the river bank, probably to check for anyone below the bridge. Anticipation is making her giddy, she’s looking forward to the dumb expression on his face when he’ll realise what’s happened, and so she makes a mistake, produces a noise, causes him to turn around. But the sun saves her.

In the moment of confusion, the second he blinks and squints, she shoots up and reaches around him to get a hold of her prize, yet the sudden movement makes her lose her footing and crash into the solid body; now they’re both flailing (and was that a squeak from Blitz?), an arm wraps around her waist to regain balance where she has none to give – and the next thing she knows is the horizon tilting and ice cold water enveloping both of them.

.

“Of all the things I wanted to achieve today, a bath in the river was not among them”, Blitz chides jokingly as soon as he’s emerged from the dressing room wearing his spare clothes and a grin which tells Spectre that he doesn’t mind. His hair is sticking up in all twenty cardinal directions simultaneously and she ponders whether to comment on it, eventually deciding against it. She doesn’t want to seem like she’s paying too much attention to his appearance.

“Not like you couldn’t use one”, she shoots back good-naturedly while they make their way towards a well-deserved lunch break.

“What, are you referring to the information retrieval again?”

“You call it intelligence gathering, I call it dumpster diving. Now which of these is a euphemism, hm? Didn’t you have to wade through sewage in Sevilla too?”

“I’ll have you know that both of those missions ended up successful and not everyone can be as limber as you. You probably would’ve climbed along the walls like a spider instead of stepping into that muck.”

Their playful back-and-forth is as familiar as it is comfortable, one of the constants in Spectre’s everyday life she looks forward to the most. Both of them enjoy poking fun at anything and everything, including themselves and each other – which is one of the reasons why they became fast friends. A sunny disposition in their job isn’t that common, usually it entails a much darker, morbid kind of humour. “I definitely wouldn’t have used an entire can of Lynx to get rid of the smell at least. That’s one way to keep the ladies off of you.”

As soon as the comment has left her mouth, she once again feels the impulse to kick herself. Because while Blitz laughs, it sounds oddly hollow to her ears. She shouldn’t have gone there, she knows he’s been wanting someone by his side for a while. She knows he even has someone in mind, overheard J��ger mention it to someone else. Felt strangely betrayed that Blitz would entrust him with this detail and not her, felt a stab of jealousy because who does Blitz call in the early morning after a bad dream? Whom does he send drunk texts which are as illegible as they are hilarious? Not Jäger, that’s for sure. She knows he doesn’t message anyone else, he never does so when they’re out together. She would like to see herself as his best friend but after that she’s had her doubts. If he kept this from her, what else did he keep?

Going down this path is futile and depressing, so she does her best to snap out of it but it takes a few minutes until her smile stops hurting.

A hiss is what finally distracts her mid-chew: “You are a fucking cat, young lady!”

Both she and Blitz snort at Mira’s accusation. “Did she sneak up on you too?”, he asks, amused.

“Please tell me who eliminated you so I can thank them for avenging my honour. You gave me the worst fright I’ve had in a while.”

While Spectre just grins proudly, the German opposite her replies: “More on accident, but we got each other.”

Mira lifts a brow and suddenly, it’s imperative Spectre doesn’t blush so she doesn’t give herself away. All the jokes and questioning glances whenever they playfight or feed each other unhealthy food to create the most disgusting combination are more than enough already. Still. It sounds nice: we got each other. “Is that why you’re looking like a drowned rat?”

“Watch out or you might hit someone in the face with all that charm you’re throwing around”, Spectre grins. Her mauve hair is still damp and probably hanging down sadly, so Mira might not actually be far from the truth – but she finds that she doesn’t mind, no, not at all. She can still feel Blitz’ loose embrace, hears his laughter bubbling up as they dragged themselves out of the stream, shaking the water off like a pair of dogs.

The Spaniard leaves them to their meals, still mock-grumbling, but gets replaced by Jäger immediately. “Can I interrupt you guys for a moment?”, he asks and Spectre idly wonders whether there’ll ever be anything he’d interrupt.

“I don’t know, can you?”, she replies and fights down a giggle when she realises Blitz just uttered exactly the same thing. They exchange a glance and a grin when he lightly kicks her under the table.

For a moment, she’s worried Jäger is going to hurt himself with how dramatically his eyes roll skywards. “Bunch of nerds”, he mutters. “All I wanted to know is whether you’re ready for tomorrow.”

“Of course! Tomorrow is a very special day.”

Blitz’ answer comes so fast that Spectre’s heart skips a beat. Did he – did he remember? She let it slip before, more than half a year ago, didn’t think he paid it any heed, didn’t think he’d care enough. He’s awful with remembering dates, only remembers Sledge’s birthday because it’s the same as his own, and his friends usually remind him of everyone else’s. But could he have -

“Yeah, I know how much you love Halloween.” Jäger earns a nod from Blitz and oh, that’s right. Of course that’s what he means. “You’re coming to Julien’s party too, right, Quinn?”

“Yes”, she replies curtly and contributes no more to the chatter about the Germans’ plans. She’s not hungry anymore.

.

The next afternoon, Spectre is in a rotten mood and hates herself for it. She adores Halloween, even decided to go all out this year and whip up a full-fledged zombie costume, ordered liquid latex for fake injuries, white contact lenses to max out the creepy and went so far as to buy blood capsules. Her plan was to dramatically announce her insatiable hunger for human flesh at some point during the party, and then gurgle crimson – Rook made the mistake of letting everyone know there’d be prizes for the best costumes and she’s determined to make it to the top three.

Well, was determined.

It’s silly and she knows it, yet this changes nothing. She received the usual greetings and best wishes from her family and friends, had Buck and Frost congratulate her inconspicuously, the two shoving candies and other important Canadian foodstuffs they know she misses into her pockets, and it’s how her birthday normally goes. She refuses to make a big deal of it, keeps it secret so people rather worry about enjoying Halloween than to procure impersonal gifts or, even worse, sing for her, and still -

Part of her had hoped she’d be important enough for Blitz to remember, yet she hasn’t even seen him all day. And the fact that this is what brings her down makes her feel even sillier.

No, she’s going to have a good time regardless. It’s not the end of the world. She’s going to freak everyone out by groaning and reaching out when they walk past, she’s going to unsettlingly stare at people and it’s going to be glorious. Rook hates zombies and she’ll have a whale of a time chasing him around his apartment.

Just as she’s made this decision, her doorbell rings unexpectedly.

For some reason, Blitz is holding a mug with the logo of a local wildlife resort in his hand, looking sheepish and apologetic at the same time. “There’s still time before we have to leave for the party, right?” He sounds out of breath, cheeks as red as his ears from the cold and looks adorable.

“Sure, more than an hour. I’m just starting to get ready.” Frowning, Spectre peers into the mug. “Did you bring… compressed dirt? You’re missing a few tentacles for your Davy Jones costume, I’m afraid.”

Blitz just laughs and enters the place where they’ve spent countless hours together, her kicking his ass at her favourite video games, them attempting to bake together, coming down after intense training or when they’ve just returned after a mission. He prefers visiting her, he’s said as much, thinks her flat is more inviting and homely and she secretly agrees. He toes off his shoes, hangs up his jacket and rummages in his pockets for a few more objects before herding her into the living room, taking his usual spot on the couch next to her.

Nothing gets clearer even as he sets the cup on the low coffee table and places an unassuming envelope next to it.

“What are you doing?”

The genuine confusion in her voice seems to amuse him for some reason. “You’re an idiot, Quinn. Did you think I’d forget? Happy birthday.” And with this, he conjures up a small candle and pushes it into the soft mass inside the ceramic. This is when it clicks.

“Is this – a mug cake?” She can’t believe it.

Blitz shrugs with an embarrassed smile. “I’ve destroyed your kitchen often enough that you know how bad I am at baking. This is all I could -”

A hug cuts him off and he seems happy to reciprocate it instead of talking. His strong arms pull her closer, squeeze her reassuringly and her heart sings. She can only imagine how long he must’ve agonised over what to gift her – because she also knows how bad he is at choosing presents. “Thank you”, she whispers and means so much more, but for now it should suffice. Another squeeze. She could get used to this.

And then the quiet, serene atmosphere vanishes as soon as she opens the envelope. Blitz watches her bounce and flail and cheer for a solid minute before he points out: “There are two tickets. I figured you might not want to go alone.”

“Two tickets to fucking Gamescom?”, Spectre squeaks ecstatically.

“And the flights, and a hotel room.” He seems extremely pleased with how excitedly his gift is being accepted – and this is the best thing Spectre could’ve hoped for, it’s the largest video game convention in the entire world. She’ll get to try out upcoming titles herself, collect all the swag, stroll around among like-minded people and this is amazing. “You can take whoever you like.”

In her exhilaration she misses his tone of voice but doesn’t miss his surprised expression when she punches him in the arm. “You hoser, of course you’re coming with me.”

“Really? I – I mean, I can probably be useful since it’s in Germany, so -”

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go with me even if it was in France, or Canada, or wherever.”

And now she notices his blush still hasn’t disappeared despite his breathing long having calmed down. …maybe the cold wasn’t really its cause. Maybe, just maybe -

“I’d love to go with you”, he says and oh, he’s not really that interested in gaming normally, and he said a hotel room, and maybe, just maybe, he told Jäger instead of her because…

It clicks. And suddenly, she knows with vicious clarity that this is going to be the best birthday of her life. “Elias”, she murmurs and waits until he finally gathers the courage to meet her fond, helpless, hopeful gaze, “do you like me?”

And the bright red colouring Blitz’ face only deepens.

Seems like she won’t be using the blood capsules today after all, not when she’s pretty sure her mouth will be occupied otherwise for the majority of the party.

And only mere minutes later, she starts considering ditching her zombie costume entirely because there’s no doubt they’re going to be late anyway. Now they really, finally, eventually got each other.

[greenbagjosh]

3 June 2002 - The horse riding show in Jerez - driving to Carmona

Good morning!  Buenos Dias!

There is unfortunately not much that I remembered between the 3rd and 5th of June 2002, so today's story may cover all three days.

On Monday the 3rd June 2002, my father had an appointment about 10 AM at the NAVSTA base.  We had to pick him up about 3 PM at the southeast entrance of the US Navy base NAVSTA, at Cintura de Fuentebravia and Calle de la Guayaba.  That was the entrance that I even remember back in 1977, walking right out of the base - not knowing any better at age 5, and of course my parents being very consternated, but security there has tightened so much since then.  

That morning we woke up at 7 AM, had breakfast and we took my father to the NAVSTA base checkpoint at the east side, just off A-491.  At the checkpoint, even though everyone had their passports, only my father was allowed in.  We would pick him up from the same entry port about 3 PM.

I had some shopping to do at the Carrefour which was located at Centro Comercial El Paseo.  This was the same location that I remember going to in the 1970s but it had been built up over the 25+ years that we were away.  At the Carrefour, in the electronics department, I bought some extra rolls of 35 mm film and batteries for my camera.  I cannot remember what else I would have bought there.  I definitely did not find any new music by A-Ha.

Unfortunately that particular evening I cannot remember where we ate supper, I think it may have been in Rota, just southwest of NAVSTA.  

Tuesday the 4th June 2002 we woke up, had breakfast and checked out of the hotel.  We had tickets to the 11 AM performance at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.  It is next door to the Bodegas Sandeman sherry production.  The Equestrian art is basically a show of synchronizing up to ten equestrians in a row and marching in an orderly pattern.  Sometimes the horses will use only their hind legs upon direction of the human, and it's kind of a contest to see how long the horse will walk only on their hind legs.  The human riders wear pointy black hats, grey blazers with big black buttons, and black trousers.  In attendance I think there were about five hundred people.  And maybe 100 liters of Sandeman sherry sold that day, if not more.  

We stopped by the Bodegas Sandeman before returning to the car, and I drove along the Duque de Abrames to the A4 and went northbound, past the airport "XRY", where the A4 joined the AP-4 toll road.  I drove along the AP-4, stopping once to use the "aseos" and another time to pay the 5 Euro toll at Las Cabezas de San Juan.  I drove about 120 km/h on the AP-4 until Dos Hermanas, and then I had to take the A-398 to Carmona, where we would spend the night at our last Parador hotel with half-pension.  Carmona is similar to Arcos de la Frontera.  Its city center is on a hill, and those who have never been there before will have some difficulty driving uphill.  I drove to the Parador at Puerta de Marchena.  From there, that was the last time I had driven in Europe until April 2005.

We checked into the Parador, put our luggage in the rooms and then we walked into town for some sightseeing.  Supper would not be ready until past 8 PM.  We saw the Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla, Ermita de San Antón, and Plaza Blas Infante.  Some of the buildings along the way looked like the white paint had faded and the grey was poking out.  Going back to the hotel, the view towards Puente Romano and farther east, was very nice.  It had rained earlier that day but it stopped.

By the time 8 PM came around, we went back to the hotel to have supper.  We had the fixed-price menu as part of our half-pension rate.  Of course this included a bowl of gazpacho and diced vegetables.  And I could not say no to the iberian ham, steak or tocino de cielo.  We went to bed around 10 PM.  We would have to catch a plane about 11 AM for Madrid T3 and bring the car back to the Sevilla airport.

I hope you will join me for tomorrow's adventure.  Please bear in mind that there are a maximum of three stories left and I will turn 30 years old on Friday the 6th June 2002.  

Hasta manana y buenas noches!

[phgq]

Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60  

#PHnews: Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60  

ISTANBUL – Football legend Diego Armando Maradona died Wednesday, suffering cardiac arrest at home in Tigre, Argentina. He was 60.

The Argentine football legend underwent successful surgery on November 4 for a blood clot in his brain, his doctor Leopoldo Luque said.

Maradona was awake and doing well but had "a little drainage" that doctors were planning to remove the following day.

"He tolerated the surgery very well, he is lucid and awake and the time he stays in the hospital will depend on his evolution," Luque added.

A subdural hematoma, where a blood clot is formed on the surface of the brain, is usually caused by a head injury, but the former football superstar did not remember any event that could have caused it.

The Argentine Football Association paid tribute to Maradona, saying he would forever be a hero of the nation's football.

"The Argentine Football Association, through its president Claudio Tapia, expresses its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona,” it said on its website.

"Maradona was, is and will forever be a hero of our football. An emblem that knew how to bring the colors of the Argentine flag to every corner of the planet. Diego forever marked an era with his indescribable and unsurpassed talent. The soccer planet will remember you forever."

Sports world pays tribute to legend

Football clubs offered condolences via Twitter on hearing about Maradona's passing.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed his deepest sorrow on the death of Maradona.

"Today is an unbelievably sad day. Our Diego left us. Our hearts – of all of us who loved him for how he was, and for what he represented – have stopped beating for a moment. Rest in peace, dear Diego. We love you," Infantino said on FIFA.com.

"The world awaits our words but there are no words to describe the pain we're going through. Now is the time to grieve," Napoli said.

"Your memory will live on forever... Rest in Peace Maradona," said Galatasaray.

Fenerbahce said, “One of the all-time greats... Rest in Peace, Diego Armando Maradona.”

“We are deeply sorry to hear of the passing of Diego Maradona, one of the greatest to have ever played the beautiful game. Rest in peace, legend,” Besiktas said.

"FC Barcelona expresses its deepest condolences regarding the death of Diego Armando Maradona, a player for our club (1982-84) and an icon of world football. Rest in peace Diego," said Barcelona.

"A hero for an entire country and football itself. One of the greatest players to have graced the game of football, and we were lucky enough to enjoy you at Sevilla FC. Diego Armando Maradona, forever eternal. Rest in peace," Sevilla said.

Pele, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo were among the many who have shared their condolences after the loss of Maradona.

"Sad news today. I have lost a dear friend, and the world has lost a legend. There is much more to say, but for now, may God give his family strength. One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky", Pele said on Instagram.

"A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal. I keep all the beautiful moments lived with him and I wanted to take the opportunity to send my condolences to all his family and friends," Messi said.

"Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius. One of the best ever. An unparalleled magician. He leaves too soon, but leaves a legacy without limits and a void that will never be filled. Rest in peace, ace. You will never be forgotten," Ronaldo said.

Winning the 1986 World Cup

Maradona netted one of his iconic goals with his hand while playing against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals but the referee was unable to see his trick.

"The hand of God" goal eliminated England 2-1 in Argentina’s march to the tournament glory.

Maradona, 25 at the time, was the team’s captain when he helped his nation win the 1986 World Cup.

Known for his pace, highly skilled technique, and dribbling skills, he was a versatile player on the pitch who could play as an attacking midfielder and forward.

He played for Argentina in four World Cup tournaments – Spain 82, Mexico 86, Italy 90, and the US 94.

He made 21 World Cup appearances, scoring eight goals and eight assists.

In addition to a World Cup victory, Maradona helped Argentina get as far as the final match in the 1990 World Cup, only to lose against West Germany.

He scored 34 goals in 90 international caps for Argentina.

Maradona played for Argentina's Boca Juniors, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Sevilla, and Italian club Napoli.

The Argentine national was a beloved Napoli player, winning two Italian Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, as well as the 1989 UEFA Cup with Napoli.

He managed the Argentine national team during the 2010 World Cup but failed to advance in the knockout round.

Maradona's team was eliminated in the quarterfinals in a shocking 4-0 loss to Germany in South Africa.

Meanwhile, UEFA is holding a minute’s silence at all of Wednesday's Champions League games in Maradona’s memory. (Anadolu)

   ***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60  ." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1123001 (accessed November 26, 2020 at 08:47PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60  ." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1123001 (archived).

[geminitraveller]

Art Encounter Through the Years:  The First Encounters

It was in France and Spain that I got the so-called baptism of fire in the appreciation of arts.  My first museum visit was in Paris at Musée d’Orsay, home of the largest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world.  It was by accident that we got to the Orsay as we would have preferred to visit the Louvre instead.  But the lines were long and we didn’t have time to wait that long.  I never regretted the visit to the Orsay.  It is a bit smaller and more manageable than the Louvre.  Smaller is a relative word because the Musée d’Orsay is actually not small.  You could easily spend the whole day exploring it.  It’s just that the Louvre is humongous and needs several days to explore.

Since it was my first museum visit, overwhelmed is an understatement to describe it.  I was mesmerized and dumbfounded to say the least.  Never in my life have I imagined these many great artists and their beautiful artworks exist and that you can spend a whole day exploring them ad still you didn’t finish looking at all of them.  And this was just a single museum.  How many museums like this are there in the world?

Bal du Moulin de la Galette (1876) Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

One of the few artworks that I remembered admiring then was Bal du Moulin de la Galette, one of Renoir’s most important works and one of Impressionism’s most highly revered masterpieces.  

The Moulin de la Galette was an open-air dance hall in Paris in the 1870s. Open-air dance halls were very popular in 19th-century France and were a great source of entertainment for the people. Most people went there not to dance, but just to watch the dancers and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) is a French painter from Limoges in the middle of France.  He is one of the founders of Impressionism, together with artists like Cézanne, Degas, Manet, and Monet. The Impressionists focused on the effects of light and often painted outside. Renoir’s opinion about art was that it should be pretty and he mostly painted very happy scenes.

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586) El Greco. Iglesia de Santo Tomé, Toledo, Spain

On my visit to Toledo, an ancient city an hour away from Madrid, I became a fan of Mannerist painter El Greco who calls Toledo his home.  The above artwork was the first time an artwork was explained extensively by a local tour guide and so it was quite memorable.  I listened intently, amazed at how much details an artist can reveal in his work.

The Burial of the Count of Orgas is widely considered one of El Greco’s masterpieces. The painting depicts a popular legend, regarding the Count of Orgas, who was a pious man, and who upon his death left a large sum of money to the church. The legend tells that Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine descended from heaven at his funeral and buried them with their own hands. Andres Nunes, the parish priest of Sao Tome, was the commissioner of the work, who intended it for a project to refurbish the Count’s burial chapel. According to the commission, the observers of the burial were to be portraits of the notable men of Toledo at the time.  Included also are portraits of El Greco and his son, the only two people in the painting looking front at the viewer.  The artist signed his name in the handkerchief of his son.  All the small details pointed to us by the guide as we viewed this masterpiece.

Domenikos Theotokopoulos, other wise known as “El Greco” due to his Greek heritage, was a popular Greek painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. He was a master of post-Byzantine art by the age of 26, when he traveled to Venice, and later Rome, where he opened his first workshop. Unlike other artists, El Greco altered his style in order to distinguish himself from other artists of the time, inventing new and unusual interpretations of religious subject matter. He created agile, elongated figures, and included a vibrant atmospheric light. After the death of Raphael and Michelangelo, he was determined to leave his own artistic mark, and offered to paint over Michelangelo’s Last Supper to Pope Pius V. His unconventional artistic beliefs (his dislike of Michelangelo included), along with his strong personality, led to the development of many enemies in Rome, especially the hostilities of art critics. 

Las Meninas (1656) Diego Velázquez.  Baroque.  Museo Nacional Del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Back to Madrid, on our last day, I chose to visit Museo Nacional del Prado, the main Spanish national art museum.  This time I am prepared to face a multitude of artworks.  But based on what I saw in Musée d’Orsay, I was not prepared to see a different kind of art - Spanish art and the prevalence of the Baroque style.  From the many works of art at the Prado, Las Meninas has caught my eye.  I lingered longer in front of this art piece than at any other works.  Something in it is unique from my untrained but appreciative eye.  You must remember that internet was still in its infancy in 1999.  I was new in art and I didn’t know that this was one of the most important artworks in history.  Only when I researched back home did I understand the importance of this work in art. 

“One of the most famous and controversial artworks of all time, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour) is regarded as a dialogue between artist and viewer, with its double mirror imagery and sketchy brushwork that brings every figure and object in the room to life" - from the book, 30,000 Years of Art. "Painters as diverse as Goya, Manet, Sargent and Picasso have been inspired to create copies and adaptations after Velázquez’s masterpiece.” 

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV, and one of the most important painters of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he painted scores of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other notable European figures, and commoners, culminating in the production of his masterpiece Las Meninas.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1515) Hieronymus Bosch.  Northern Renaissance.  Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Another work of note which has impressed me at the Prado was The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch.  The intricacy of the work is amazing and a short glance was simply not enough.  There is a story you have to look for and many small details to examine which made me remember the work.

By far the best known and most ambitious work, The Garden of Earthly Delights illustrates Bosch’s individual artistic style, containing the most vivid imagery and complexity of symbolic meaning. The triptych is generally thought to be a warning of the dangers of giving in to temptation, but has been subject to vast amounts of conjecture and scrutiny, and critics and historians are split in two directions. Whereas some believe that the middle panel, which depicts a fantastical world of nudes in sexual engagement, large fruits, and other suggestive elements, is simply an illustration of paradise lost, others believe that it is a moral warning, which will lead you to hell, as it is depicted in the third panel of the series. Although there are many contradictory explanations, it is generally thought to be a warning against lust, one of the seven deadly sins.

Hieronymus Bosch born Jheronimus van Aken c. 1450 – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work contains fantastic illustrations of religious concepts and narratives. Within his lifetime his work was collected in the Netherlands, Austria, and Spain, and widely copied, especially his macabre and nightmarish depictions of hell.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.  Staue in bronze by Sabino de Medina . Plaza del Museo, Seville, Spain

During my first visit to the city of Seville, I chanced upon seeing this monument of Sevillian painter Murillo and the museum across it.  It was located about a minute or two from the small hotel we booked.  Since everyone was tired and wants to rest, I decided to pay a visit to this museum on my own.  I got the surprise of my life when I went to explore this seemingly small museum.  First, it was not small inside and the works on exhibit were by far the most extensive collection of Spanish works of art I’ve seen even to this day.  And the grandeur of the architecture and interior  of the sala was something I have never expected to find inside this local museum.  Even the beautiful gardens and several courtyards are a nice addition to explore. The main gallery dedicated to the works of Murillo, together with its grand cupola  is located in the former antigua iglesia and is one of the most magnificent exhibition halls I’ve been.

The Museo  (Museum of Fine Arts), Sevilla, was established as a "Museum to display paintings", by Royal Decree on 16 September 1835, with objects from convents and monasteries seized by the liberal government presided by Mendizábal. It is located in the Plaza del Museo, in the place of the former Convento de la Merced Calzada founded on lands transferred by Ferdinand III after conquering Sevilla.  

It has magnificent works of art by Murillo, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal and other representatives of the Seville school. True enough, due to the quality of the art, it is today considered as the second best gallery in Spain.

In 2017, I was back in Seville after 18 years and I didn’t pass on the chance to visit one of my favourite museums again.  After visiting many museums through the years, Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville still leaves me in awe of the beautiful works of art.  The fascination was still there.  Only this time, I am more knowledgeable about arts and museums and I can better appreciate everything in this museum.  Still, I loved this museum.  I still haven’t met anyone who’s visited this museum.  It’s somewhat off the beaten path where museums are concerned.  I’m glad to have been there not once but twice.  It’s my secret gem of a museum.  

Visiting the grand main gallery of Museo de Bellas Artes.  Paintings in the background are by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo including Inmaculada  Concepcion “La Colosal” in the center.

Cristo Crucificado, a series of paintings on Jesus on the cross by Francisco de Zurbarán, a Spanish painter known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes.  Zurbarán gained the nickname "Spanish Caravaggio," owing to the forceful use of chiaroscuro in which he excelled.

[barcastat]

IVAN RAKITIĆ TALKING ABOUT HIS WIFE, SEVILLA AND FC BARCELONA:

I have a story for Hollywood. It’s a romantic comedy. But it’s actually real. It starts with a Croatian guy walking into a bar …

It was 2011. I was 21 years old. I arrived in Spain really late — maybe 10 o’clock at night. I had been playing for Schalke in Germany for the past four years, and Seville were all set to sign me the next morning. All I had to do was take my medical test and sign the papers.

My older brother Dejan was traveling with me, and when we got to the hotel, we had a late dinner with some people from the club. For whatever reason, I was a little bit nervous after dinner, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. So I said to my brother, “Let’s have a drink and then we’ll go to bed.”

Those words changed my life.

Because the woman who happened to be working at the hotel bar was … Wow. This is the part of the movie where everything goes into slow motion, you know? She was so beautiful.

I said to myself, O.K., Seville. Wow. I like this place.

But I couldn’t say anything to her other than “Hola,” because I didn’t know any Spanish. I spoke German, English, Italian, French and Serbo-Croatian, but no Spanish. It was terrible.

So my brother and I were just sitting there, having a chat, when someone from another big European club called my brother on the phone. They said that they had heard that we had arrived in Seville, and they wanted to send a plane to come pick us up so I could go and sign with them instead.

We didn’t have a formal agreement with Seville yet. It was a big step for me to move to Spain, and maybe a big risk. New country, new language. I didn’t know anyone there. The team who wanted to send the plane for me — let’s just say it might have been an easier adjustment.  

So my brother said, “What do you want to do?”

I told him, “Well … I said ‘Yes’ to the president of Seville already, and my words are worth more than a signature.”

He said, “Alright, I’ll tell them.”

Then I pointed across the bar and I said, “You see our waitress? I am going to play here for Seville, and I am going to marry this woman.”

My brother was laughing. He said, “O.K., whatever you say.” He thought I was joking.

The waitress came back and asked if we were finished, and I said to my brother, “You know, I’m still a bit nervous. I don’t think I can sleep. Let’s have another drink.”

The next day, I signed my contract with Seville, and I lived in that hotel for three months while I searched for a house. So every single morning, I went to the hotel bar for a coffee and an orange Fanta so that I could see the beautiful waitress.

All I knew was that her name was Raquel. She didn’t speak any English, and I didn’t speak any Spanish. So every single day …

“Buenos días, Raquel. Un café y un Fanta naranja.”

I don’t know how to explain it. Sometimes, you meet someone and you just have a different feeling. Whenever I saw her, it was like a bomb went off inside me. Week after week, I slowly started to learn some Spanish words, and if I was struggling, I would use my hands a lot to try to explain what I was trying to say to her.

She thought that was funny. She was like, “Me …  Jane. You … Tarzan.”

I was drinking so much coffee it was ridiculous.

I probably asked her out 20 or 30 times.

She never said no, but she always made an excuse that she had to work and then go to bed. After three months, I moved into my house, and I remember feeling really sad, because I thought maybe it was over. But I didn’t give up. I would still drive into town and go for a coffee at the hotel all the time.

If she wasn’t working, I’d walk straight back out the door and go to another place. If she was there, it made my day.

By then, my Spanish was getting better, so we could talk a little more. I forced myself to watch Spanish TV and listen to Spanish radio all the time. I think I’m lucky, because for whatever reason, people from the Balkans seem to have a talent for learning languages.

One day, Raquel finally explained why she wouldn’t go out with me. She said, “You’re a footballer. You could be moving to another country next year. Sorry, but no.”

You know, I’m not the biggest guy in the world, so I thought, Shit, maybe she sees me and she doesn’t think I’m going to be very good and Seville will sell me in the summer.

Part of my motivation when I went to training was to establish myself in the squad so that I would be around for awhile and this girl would finally have dinner with me. It literally took me seven months. I arrived on January 27. On August 20, I got a text: She’s in the bar with her sister having a drink! Not working!

See, at this point, pretty much everybody in the town knew my story, so someone was in the bar and they tipped me off with a text. I refuse to name my source 🙂

I called a friend and we drove right to the hotel, and I took a seat right next to Raquel, and I said, “O.K., you’re not working. You finally have time to come to dinner with me.”

She was surprised. She said she didn’t know, maybe …

I said, “No. I’m not leaving. I know you’re with your sister and everything, but we have to start today. Let’s go. We’ll all go.”

So we all went out together.

The next day, we met for lunch, and we have been together ever since. Six years together, with two beautiful daughters now. And it was the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. It was harder than winning the Champions League, and it took nearly as long.

It was especially funny when I met her family for the first time. At that point, I was feeling pretty confident with my Spanish, but then you get around a big family and, my God … they were speaking so fast, and with the Seville accent, which is a little bit different.

Her dad was trying to make jokes with me, and I had no idea what the hell he was saying. I would just pretend I knew and laugh anyway. But he could tell I had no idea what was going on, so finally he said, “It doesn’t matter. Give me two or three months and you will understand everything.”

I think this is the special character of the people from Seville. They have a really open spirit and receive everyone like family. It was funny because my wife doesn’t care about football at all, so I thought maybe her family was the same. But they’re big Seville supporters. My wife’s grandfather had already passed away when I met her, but her father told me that when he went into the hospital during his final days, the nurses took off his clothes and put him in a hospital gown, but when they tried to take off his watch, he refused.

It was his special Seville watch.

He said, “No, this stays with me. To the very end. If I go, I go with my club.”

I think people don’t really understand how much footballers are affected by the people in their lives. When we’re interviewed, people always ask about managers and tactics and training, but they almost never ask about what’s going on off the pitch. And to me, that’s just as important to your career. In the span of six years, I moved from Switzerland to Germany to Spain, and it was a really intense and lonely experience at times. I was a pretty good player at Basel and Schalke, but I always felt like I was missing something.

When I met my wife, I felt as though I really had something to play for, and my career went to another level after that. We had a lot of special years in Seville. In 2013, I was named the first foreign captain of the club since Maradona. That was such a special honor for me, especially because of how much the club meant to my wife’s grandfather.

It was also a very proud moment for me because of my history. My parents are from Croatia, but they immigrated to Switzerland just before the start of the Bosnian War because they could feel the danger coming. I grew up in Switzerland idolizing Robert Prosinečki. He was a hero for Croatians, and he played for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Seville when I was a kid. I was lucky to have a very normal life with my friends in Switzerland and be untouched by the war. But for a long time, it was impossible for my family to go back to Croatia. I think the first time we went back was when I was seven years old, just to see my grandparents. So for me, going to school in Switzerland surrounded by Swiss friends, my Croatian identity was tied to Prosinečki and the national team.

My mother likes to tell a story. When I started going to school, I came home after the third or fourth day and I said, “Mom, I don’t want to go anymore. I just want to play. How many years do I have to do this?”

And she said, “Nine years.”

And so I said, “Nine years? O.K., I’ll go for nine years, but not one day more.”

And that’s pretty much how it happened. At 17, I went to play football professionally for Basel. My dream was very clear. I wanted to be Robert Prosinečki. So to be able to go play in Spain like he did, and to actually be named Seville’s captain, it was just incredible.

When Barcelona wanted to sign me in 2014, it was quite an interesting experience, because my wife’s family obviously wanted me to stay. But they also knew that you only have one opportunity to move to the biggest club in the world. So in the end, they supported whatever I decided. It was a pretty difficult decision for us — much more difficult than you might expect. But the club said that they were satisfied with the fee that Barcelona were willing to pay, and they supported the move. It made me very happy to leave on good terms, because my whole life changed at Seville.

My wife’s father was like, “O.K., good luck, but when you guys play against Seville … Well, I’m sorry.”

It is every boy’s dream to play for Barcelona. I remember when I arrived for the presentation, I walked into the dressing room, and they had my boots waiting for me at my locker, and I got goosebumps looking at the boots. I was thinking, These are not just boots. These are my Barcelona boots.

As a footballer, of course you want to win games and titles. But to be a part of this club is something different. Full respect to all the other big clubs, but at Barcelona, I think there is a special feeling with the people of the city, and with people all over the world.

As a playmaker, I am blessed to play with the greatest attackers in the world. With Messi, for example, the whole world sees his brilliance in the games. But you have to multiply that by 20 or 50 for what he’s doing in the training sessions. It is a joy for me, just as a fan of pure football, to be able to play with him every day. But it’s not just him — it was Neymar and Xavi, and now Suárez, Iniesta, Piqué. There is a rhythm to the way we try to play — it’s like a big machine. When you hit the button, all the pieces inside already know what to do. It’s one thing to see it on TV, or to play against Barcelona, and it’s another thing to experience it for yourself. If you don’t enjoy football in Barcelona, then you don’t enjoy football.

If you don’t enjoy football in Barcelona, then you don’t enjoy football.

For me, every single day is still a pleasure if I’m playing football. I left Switzerland 10 years ago to pursue my dream abroad, and I’m very lucky that I ended up here in Barcelona. I hope to wear the shirt for many more years.

I think that when I arrived here, some of the players were a bit surprised by how well I spoke Spanish (with a Seville accent), and that was very helpful for me in adapting to the dressing room culture. I have my wife to thank for that. She is the reason I was able to grow from Tarzan, to the captain of Seville, to a champion at Barcelona.

Our older daughter is four years old now, and she’s starting to understand just how seriously people take football in Barcelona. We’re trying to predict whether she’s going to be obsessed with football like me, or not care about it at all, like her mother. Right now, she’s kind of in the middle.

If I’m at home watching football on TV and somebody scores, she gets really mad. She says, “No! You have to score the goal!”

It doesn’t even matter if it’s Messi or Suárez. No. It’s not good enough. It has to be Daddy who scores. He can’t assist, he has to score. So I’m doing my best. Maybe I will try to talk to Leo about this.

Source: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ivan-rakitic-barcelona/amp/

[ohborder]

So. I was arranged a stopover at Cologne to break the long train journey from Berlin back to Paris. And… here is the reason why.

The Koln Dom was at some point in history the tallest building in the world. When I stood it front of it, I thought it could have been the biggest gothic church in the world, but then I remembered Sevilla. But this Cologne Cathedral looks way taller than La Catedral de Sevilla (which is the biggest in the world). Anyway, no competition here, they are both glorious in their own right. And I love them both.

The funny thing was … when I was snapping photos to show my family, my ignoramus siblings asked, “Oooooh, is that Notre Dame?”, “It looks so burnt!” but they were (thankfully) both sharp enough to point out, “but it doesn’t really look like Notre Dame”. Phew. I decided to test this out on some archi seniors and sent them the same pics. Lo and behold, I cannot believe they responded the same way my siblings did. Incredible. But at least everyone had enough knowledge to say “but it doesn’t really look it”.

(Guess at this point, I can be proud to say I hit the jackpot on today’s prompt orgulous. Haughty sh*tty me to feel high-and-mighty from being able to “identify buildings”. Tsk!!)

In any case, this was a question I have been pondering about gothic cathedrals. With so much intricate details going on in every inch of the building surface, how do they clean out the dust? Jet spray will ruin the surface on impact, and manual cleaning is going to take years – by the time one finishes cleaning the whole surface, it would have been years and time to clean again. Or maybe that is what they are doing now – notice the scaffolding in bits and pieces around The Dom. Hah, I have a brilliant idea. If they were to just clean all year round, and then maybe set a span of a month (let’s say December, for Christmas) without any of the scaffolding on it, then that month is going to be famously photogenic and bound to boost their tourism numbers!

Okay, moving on to the rest of Cologne.

The city is very pretty, and fairytale-y. Streets are clean! Way cleaner than Paris. I really enjoy having my haughty nose up in the air, admiring the roofscapes / skyline of the city. I spent the day just venturing around, without a map, without an itinerary, but just wander. I did not have much time to research my trip as this whole thing happened in a rush, so I just fixate my eyes and brains on architecture that I have always wanted to share a physical presence in, and then went for it, and roam around after. It is a cool way to travel. Guess I was lucky, in a way, too. Guess too, that the Universe and its magical synchronicity is a better travel planner than I can ever be.

Apart from the largest gothic cathedral in the country, Cologne also holds the largest mosque in the country. It is a very forward thinking mosque, judging by the way its architecture looks. Not at all the typical geometric four-minaret structure, with intricate islamic motifs, and a clear direction. Yet, it still retains the character of a mosque but in a more modern and minimalistic approach. And I love the colour and curves.

I walked far far far far away just to look at this building, and had to make my far far far far journey back to the hotel. There has to be deeper meaning than that. Indeed …. I passed by Osho’s Place on my way back! And spent the rest of my time in Cologne in it. To put things in context, I had been too busy to stock up on my Aura-Soma stuffs, and already running out of my room spray, auric spray, and my equilibrium bottles. Frances’ place is all the way at the other end of Singapore, and too out of the way for me to squeeze into a busy schedule. Guess Universe really knows I am badly in need of some spiritual/physical rescue, and plotted Osho’s Place into my unknown divine itinerary. And so I stocked up on all that I need (for now) and at two thirds the price I usually pay in Singapore (Singapore is overpriced… in case you don’t know, it’s the most expensive country in the world. 😦 )

SO THERE!!!! I LOVE YOU, UNIVERSE!!! BRING IT ON!!! I AM SOOO SOOO SOOOOOO READY FOR THE NEXT PHASE IN MY LIFE!!! Thank you, buddy! ❤

Cologne So. I was arranged a stopover at Cologne to break the long train journey from Berlin back to Paris.

[lucassvazquez]

I live in germany and am pretty neutral on Bayern because I only really support RM, but from what I've experienced with the people around me & the media, a lot of people dislike Bayern because in the Bundesliga they are always the top team; not like in LaLiga where you have at least 2 mostly dominant teams with B*rca & RM (and other really good teams like Atletico & Sevilla), and I dont mean to imply that Bayern doesnt face difficult teams because they do, but the only team that was ever

really perceived as a real rival to them (at least in recent years but thats the only time I can judge bc before I wasnt paying attention) was BVB, and they havent been doing so well these past few seasons. I mean its obviously not “bad” that Bayern wins all the time because it just shows their talent, but a lot of germans that dont support Bayern are just tired of that, and when you add the tax scandal of their president (who they reelected after he got out of jail), with a lot of people Bayern

just has this image of being a corrupt, soley money-driven club that doesnt care about ethics (and for a lot of people the tax scandal justified that opinion); and I mean its not like other big teams like RM or B*rca dont have their scandals or are in any way less focused on money, but I think Bayern is in a unique spot because they just dont have an equal in their league. sorry if this is a bit long, just wanted to give my insight on the “bayern hate” thing from a german perspective! 😅This is actually very interesting and I thank you for sharing your opinion. I do agree that Bayern are on another level when it comes to BuLi, and I see why people would choose to hate them for that. And yeah that can be frustrating, to work so hard to get to the top, and still not be as good as Bayern. But, at least Bayern worked to get to where they are. They had a smart business man transform them into the club they are today, and I think rather than hating them for that, they should respect the. 

As for Hoeness, I welcome back with open arms not only because we have to thank for making the club into what it is today, but also because he admitted what he did. He didn’t deny his crimes, and he served time for them. That is rare in football; we’re not used to seeing those in positions in power get punished for the crimes they commit. And one can only hope that he’s learned from his mistakes. Despite his tax evasion, we still owe him everything, and that’s why everyone was happy to see him come back. Had he stayed president and never gone to prison, I would have completely different opinions about the whole thing. And I think a club like BVB should be the last one to complain about our money, given ya know their financial history and the fact that we bailed them out, but each to their own.

[irvinilisa]

Champions League - Scores & Fixtures - Football - BBC Sport

All champions league games today - UEFA Champions League schedule, scores, results: PSG beat Bayern, Chelsea top Porto -

The only free way to watch these games in English is to find a free online streaming todaj, Google should come in handy in finding them.

Again, UEFA fumbled these arrangements very badly. If we are lucky…. More matches will be all champions league games today on TV too just chapmions soon as the decisions are made on which matches will be on All champions league games today TV. Thank you Christopher Harris for all your help and information.

This page must have been updated to include a lot of all champions league games today and useful current information, which I had not seen before. We soccer fans appreciate all your good efforts. Stay well and wish you all the best. Today, July 25, all champions league games today, I checked what I read the following on the top of this page here: Manchester City vs.

It is possible that this schedule has not been updated yet …. If and when this information is ever updated and corrected please share it here. Of course, they can always change their mind. Hi Christopher Harris, thanks for your prompt reply and explanation. You could be absolutely right as I too expect toay scheduling information to be corrected todag updated closer to game day.

Thanks a lot for all your help and directory, we all soccer fans appreciate all that you champipns here. Have a wonderful day and stay well and healthy, we need you. The advantage is you can watch this all champions league games today on your TV with this new coming app and without needing to all champions league games today it through your Goday or Internet.

Check with your TV provider. Good luck all. Chris do you think CBS is really only going to show the final on all access? That seems horribly inconsistent with their prior claims. When Turner had the rights, none of the games were on over-the-air television. My question is will I able to watch the Champions League through my Prime account or will I have to pay for a separate subscription?

If anyone can answer this question it is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chris. If you pay…. You are right Christopher. Amazon Prime does make available many shows all champions league games today channels to Prime members, the sad fact is that many of all champions league games today available offers are Tames free, the customer is forced to buy their selected packages at extra cost besides this website for Prime membership.

I made this fact very clear in my earlier post which was deleted from here, I assume because I was unkind to Jeff Bezos. Hopefully this one will be fixed in time. There is no DVR offered. A great relief to have that in place. Or does coverage begin at the Playoffs? Group Stage on? How much do those rights in the past cost. How in the world does acompany only get half a tournament. I guess this is toady new streaming world we now live in. Is CBS interesting getting that or later?

Real played very poorly today to have any chance to eliminate Manchester City. The only consolation for Real fans is that at least we won the La Liga championship this season. Now we have to continued till the next season starts. It has been a very sad day for all Real Madrid fans. Real Madrid lost and got eliminated because of their French Connection. He picked all champions league games today players for this very important game and did not replace players till the game was almost over.

Even though Zidane is highly regarded as a brilliant coach his stupid stubbornness is also this contact form downfall. I will not be sad if and when Zidane departs Real Madrid.

His personal stubborn and poor decisions have hurt this team enormously, Had he planned smarter and more logically Real would have had a much better chance to win and advance to the quarter-finals. Champion: Bayern Munich. You are welcome to use my tips and call your bookie and get rich. Hi guys, anyone getting rich with my accurate picks? So far all champions league games today today I am right so far, correctly picked 2 out of 2.

Third match is next Sunday. I picked Bayern to be champions. Hi all, how about hitting the Trifecta……getting all my picks correctly and perfectly 3 out of 3. I hope some of you are richer now if you had listened to me and followed my 3 picks…. Good and enjoyable season, although Covid tried its best to leeague it for us.

See you soon here. Is there a continue reading to access them there? I cannot believe that TUDN is putting both channels of simulcasting.

I prefer the matches at 3 pm putting 3 games on tv instead of 2 games. Midtjylland vs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Tuesday, April 13 pm EDT. Free Trial. Browse Offers. Collin Werner July 29, April 11, Each tkday of teams plays two matches with the results combined for a final score.

Bryan G August 12, Christopher Harris August 12, Bryan G August 13, Christopher Harris June 9, Bry G August 16, Didnt you just show legia warsaw on fox sports 1? Why are the channels changed? Christopher Harris August 16, CJ Armstrong January 14, Everything was a lot better when FS1 was showing the games! TNT sucks. Kirby Grimes August 16, David K September 11, Christopher Harris September 11, Christopher Harris September 12, Bobo Vieri December 7, AupaAtleti April 27, Christopher Harris April 27, Russia April 28, Mccort April 28, Unfortunately no!

Which sucks! David August 30, Robert January 10, Christopher Harris January 10, Oliver Tse January 12, Henry Reichman January 14, Christopher Harris January 14, Brian White April 9, Has this offer expired?

Christopher Harris April 9, Mark V Stivers May 1, That means the free-to-air FOX? David May all champions league games today, Yes, the final is over the air on Fox. Christopher Harris May 4, Henry Reichman May 4, LIguy May 4, Unless they make a deal with Turner no, they had a deal with Fox to rebroadcast a game.

UEFA Champions League Fixture Schedule & Results

Eddie May 4, Unfortunately the answer is no unless Turner does a deal with them, which is unlikely. AC10 May 17, latest blog post Christopher Harris May alp, No simulcast on FS1. Brendan May 17, Cantona May 18, Brendan May 18, Me to. Well said Cantona. Christopher Harris May 27, Gabriel July 5, Eddie July 5, What about univision deportees coverage? Christopher Harris July 5, Jb July 17, Eddie July 19, All champions league games today G July 6, Christopher Harris July 7, Gabriel July 7, Tony G July 7, Bobby July 7, Looking forward to this is Sept.

TonyG July lague, Is it live bleacher report. Brendan July 11, No commentary except the Celtic game. Naz July 11, Orgullosamente hecho en Ciudad Universitaria July 19, Christopher Harris July 20, Aldegundo Pineda July 20, Eddie July 22, When turner sports is gonna show a promo commercial on TV. Steve August 1, Are all 4 of these channels available in the US through cable or satellite?

Eddie August 1, Rakesh August 15, David August 16, Andy August wll, Bobby August 15, Tolulope Ajayi September 18, Does FUBOtv have an app that works on smart tv? Christopher Harris September 19, Christian August 28, Donald Burton September 12, Where can I sign up for TNT. David September 13, Christopher Harris September 13, Tony October 3, Justin Putter November 7, Henry Reichman January 8, Are the all champions league games today on Wednesday February 20th champons on TV?

Christopher Harris January 8, All of these games needs to go back to FOX! They need to get the leabue back! Scott March 10, Chris, Can you watch champions league replays, via the univision now supscribtion service?

Christopher Harris March 10, David the Yank April 11, Christopher Harris April 11, Azer April 12, otday Sarah April 8, Steve April 10, Christopher Harris Lrague 10, Elliott Butler April 10, Ajax vs Juventus and Manchester City vs Tottenham next week please! All champions league games today west May 20, Rich September 16, Ben September 16, How can we have access leaue tudnxtra? Ritchie September 16, To be honest, I consumed most all champions league games today my UCL last year via the univision networks anyway.

Monte Reed September 16, Kinetik December 18, Christopher Harris December 19, John February 16, Gammes Harris February 16, Mank February 26, Rich June 24, Turner opted out of UCL, and may not cover games in August.

FK Sarajevo. FK Sileks. Floriana FC. GNK Dinamo Zagreb. Inter Club d'Escaldes. KAA Gent. KF Drita. KF Tirana. KuPS Kuopio. Legia Warszawa. Linfield FC. Liverpool FC. Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC. Manchester City FC. Manchester United FC. Molde FK. NK Celje. NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. Olympiacos FC. Olympique de Marseille.

Omonoia FC. Paris Saint-Germain. PFC Ludogorets RB Leipzig. Real Madrid CF. Riga FC. Sevilla FC. ,eague Rapid All champions league games today. SK Slavia Praha. SL Benfica. SP Tre Fiori. SS Lazio.

Stade Rennais FC. Get more than schedules Follow your favourite club and stay connected to make sure you keep your calendar up to date. Nearly done. Copy link Link copied to clipboard.

Paste this link into your preferred calendar Outlook, Google, todau. How I can do this? Click on the downloaded file to add the fixtures to your calendar. Install in your calendar. Added to your calendar. How to add a calendar? If you're using Outlook 1 Read here for the 'Open calendar' button in all champions league games today upper menu.

If you're using Google Calendar 1 Look for the 'Open calendar' button in the upper menu. If you're using other calendars you should all champions league games today for similar options to add this calendar. OK, got leqgue. Filter by Filter. Tel-Aviv Man. City Man. MD Preliminary round draw. First qualifying round.

Second qualifying round. Chxmpions qualifying round draw.

[footballghana]

Sevilla among those paying tribute to Gambian football great Biri Biri

"Legends never die. Legends are honoured," is how Spanish club Sevilla remembered Gambian football great Alhaji Momodou Njie, who was better known as 'Biri Biri', after his death on Sunday.

"They always live on in the hearts of the fans," the club continued in its video tribute to their former forward.

Biri BIri passed away in the Senegalese capital Dakar, aged 72 and as yet no cause of death has been announced.

He was the first Gambian to play professional football overseas when he signed for Danish club B.1901 Nykobing FL in 1972.

The club spotted him when they came to Banjul for a training camp and in 1973 he left them to join Spanish side Sevilla, where he spent five seasons.

Such was his impact at Sevilla that whenever he returned to the club the fans would still be singing his name and welcomed him with open arms.

He also played for several clubs back home in The Gambia as well for former Sierra Leonean champions Mighty Blackpool.

Tributes from home and abroad

Current Gambian president Adama Barrow was also keen to pay tribute to Biri Biri.

"I learned with deep sorrow the passing away of Gambian football legend, Alhagie Momodou Njie alias Biri Biri," he said.

"I join his family, friends, and fans to mourn his death. Though death is inevitable, Biri's life is worth celebrating.

"He made a name for himself and as a patriot flew our national flag high in the world of football.

"Biri was a kind, generous and friendly person who supported and stood by his family and friends. May his gentle soul rest in Jannahtul Firdausi."

Newly-crowned Spanish champions Real Madrid also paid tribute to Biri Biri.

"Real Madrid CF, its president and its Board of Directors deeply regret the death of Sevilla FC legend Alhaji Momodo Njle 'Biri-Biri'," the club posted.

"Real Madrid wants to express its condolences to his family and loved ones, his club, and all fans of Sevilla FC."

A pioneer in Denmark

His first club in Europe Danish club B.1901 Nykobing also pointed out that "it is not only in Spain that Biri Biri wrote history. He did the same in Denmark in 1972.

"Here, Biri Biri became the first African to play top-level football in Denmark when he was brought to B1901. Honor be to his memory."

The club that Biri Biri left to move to Denmark was Wallidan FC, whom he joined again later in his career remembered their former player.

"A legend has fallen asleep. It's with deep sadness we announce the passing on of a Club Legend Alh. Momodou Njie Biri Biri today,"

"We are sending our deepest condolences to his ex-teammates, family, and the entire country. We will surely miss you Biri, we will continue to pray for you.

"May your humble Soul Rest in Peace Legend."

The president of The Gambia Football Federation, Lamin Kabba Bajo, added that Biri Biri will not be forgotten.

"THE ALL TIME LEGEND HAS FALLEN," Bajo wrote

"As we mourn and celebrate you, uncle, I would like to assure you that we will not relent in our efforts in ensuring that your legacy lives on as long as we are the position."

There were also words of remembrance from elsewhere around the continent.

"My sympathies and condolences to the family of the African legend from Gambia-Alhagie Momodu Njie "Biri Biri"May his soul rest in perfect peace," said Anthony Baffoe the deputy secretary-general of the Confederation of African Football.

Former Cameroon and Sevilla captain Stephane Mbia said: "A family member left us. The mystic Biri Biri! #RIP Legend."

A long international career

Biri Biri enjoyed a lengthy international career with The Gambia making his debut aged just 16 in 1963.

One of those former international team-mates Bai Malleh Wada was grateful for the help he got from Biri Biri.

"Biri has inspired a generation of Gambian footballers. All of us wanted to be like him while growing up," he explained.

"Biri gave us hope and made all of us believe in ourselves. He was a great man and he had a great personality and was charismatic."

"He has sacrificed a lot for this country. He was always ready to die for his country.

"When I joined him in the national team, he made it home for me and all the young players at the time. This country will never have another Biri."

Another ex-international who was full of praise for the late Biri Biris is Sheikh Ndure.

"He inspired me in many ways. His skills, moves with the ball and hunger for success was second to none," he said.

"Just looking at Biri moving and talking meant a lot to us at that time.

"He was a leader and so down to earth. His legacy is always going to stay forever for what he has done for football."

In 2005 BBC Sport spoke to another of his ex-international team-mates, Alhaji Babou Sowe, who had the very highest praise for Biri Biri.

"I class Biri Biri even above Maradona because he was a great goalscorer, dribbler and could play with both feet," Sowe told BBC Sport.

"Biri Biri is the best player Africa has ever produced."

One person that has followed in Biri Biri's footsteps is his 26-year-old son Yusupha Njie who plays in the Portuguese top-flight for Boavista and is also a Gambia international.

"I have been hit so hard that I don't really know what to say," he posted on Instagram.

"You're my superhero and my biggest life blessing. I'm happy and opportune to be your son."

"I love you dad and your memories always keep me moving. I will miss you."

Source: bbc.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[vsplusonline]

I feared sack during early days at Liverpool, says Jurgen Klopp

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/i-feared-sack-during-early-days-at-liverpool-says-jurgen-klopp/

I feared sack during early days at Liverpool, says Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp feared getting sacked by the Premier League club early in his tenure if he was not afforded the time to reshape the squad, he said on Wednesday.

The early years were spent building the team into title contenders and Klopp said he knew he had to convince Liverpool’s owners — Fenway Sports Group — that he needed time to change their playing style.

“It was clear we cannot fix it overnight. Everyone wanted that but we couldn’t so I had to ask for time, I knew,” Klopp said on Sky Sports’ Football Show.

“Before that in my career I never got the sack so I had no experience with that, but I knew then it was a different level, and if I can’t deliver here quick enough, then I will get the sack,” said Klopp.

“We got that time and the nice thing is that after six, seven, eight games, they were really positive about the situation, they realised we were on the right path. From that moment they didn’t question it one second,” he said.

Klopp, who took over from Brendan Rodgers in 2015, led the club to three finals in three years — Europa League and League Cup in 2016 and Champions League in 2018 — but ended up on the losing side each time.

The owners retained their faith in the German, however, and Liverpool won their sixth European crown in 2019.

“They were full of faith and trust, and they said the path we will stay on, and everything will be fine. That’s what we did then,” Klopp added. “When we lost finals against Sevilla or (Manchester) City or Real Madrid, I think pundits say ‘if he doesn’t win the next one then they might change’. But internally it was never somebody thinking like this.”

After finishing as league runners-up last season by a single point, Liverpool needed six more points to win their first league title in the Premier League era when this season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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[365footballorg-blog]

Meet Alphonso Davies – the prodigy Bayern Munich imported from the MLS

On 25 July 2018, Bayern Munich announced that they have an agreement with MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps to sign 17-year-old Alphonso Davies for an MLS record $ 13.5 million. Davies is set to join Bayern at the end of the 2018 MLS season but who exactly is he and why did Bayern pay a hefty fee to secure his signature?

Bayern Munich is the fourth richest club in the world and one of the league champions from Europe’s Top 5 leagues. What sets them apart from the rest of the champions in the top 5 leagues is their refusal to splurge. The cost of their record signing is significantly smaller than that of last season’s champions of England, Spain, Italy and France.  

In addition, of all the teams that reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League last season, Bayern has the lowest transfer spending in the last two years. Even lower than AS Roma and Sevilla. Now that we have established that Bayern doesn’t splurge nor do they take gambles, there has to be a reason why they spent a significant transfer fee on a rather unproven teenager playing in the MLS.

Three cities. Two days. One dream come true.

Go behind-the-scenes of the moment Alphonso Davies officially joined @FCBayern. #VWFC #HomegrownHero pic.twitter.com/3Ib3odk4Kr

— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 31, 2018

BACKGROUND

Alphonso Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled the civil war in Liberia which displaced more than 450,000 people. Like every refugee, his family also yearned a better life and when Alphonso was five-years-old, his family found asylum in Canada.

“It was hard to live because the only way you survive sometimes is you have to carry guns. We didn’t have any interest in shooting guns. So, we decided to just escape from there. They have a program called resettlement, and they said ‘OK, you have to fill in a form for Canada.’ We went through the interview and everything, and made it, and came over here.” – Alphonso’s father, Debeah, recollects.

Born in Ghana. Raised in Edmonton. Vancouver’s hero. @AlphonsoDavies' journey to @FCBayern. #VWFC #HomegrownHero pic.twitter.com/yzlNshcOwP

— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 25, 2018

His family worked long hours to make ends meet and he helped in raising his two younger siblings. Even as a child, people noticed him for his footballing abilities that defied his age and he had the opportunity to join The St. Nicholas Soccer Academy. By the age of 14, he was enrolled in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ residency program. When Alphonso joined Whitecaps, he was initially part of its U16 team but within months, he went from U16 to U18 to Whitecaps Football Club to the senior team.

A record breaker and the face of Canadian football

On 15 July 2016, Alphonso signed a first-team contract with Whitecaps and the following day, he made his MLS debut aged 15 years, eight months and 15 days old to become the second youngest player in the league’s history behind Freddy Adu. He also became the first player born in the 2000s to play in an MLS match.

After his debut season in the MLS, he caught the eye of European giants like Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. However, he stayed with Whitecaps and his development in the next two seasons was exponential.

By the end of the 2017 MLS season, Davies played 48 games for Whitecaps and had four goals and assists each to his name. However, in the 2018 season, his numbers improved drastically as he racked up 6 goals and 10 assists in only 32 games. His improved performance didn’t go unnoticed as he as included in the 2018 MLS All-Star squad.   

After breaking through with Whitecaps, Alphonso represented Canada’s junior teams but he was only eligible to play for the senior side after he received his Canadian citizenship in June 2017. In the same month, he made his debut for the senior team and in July he made history with his brace against French Guiana to become Canada’s youngest goalscorer, the youngest player to score at a Gold Cup and also the first player born in the 21st century to score at a major international tournament. He also scored against Costa Rica in the very next game to claim the tournament’s Golden Boot.

A week after he received his Canadian citizenship, he delivered a moving speech on behalf of North America’s ‘United bid’ to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the FIFA Congress.

So. Proud. 🇨🇦

Today, our very own @AlphonsoDavies delivered a moving speech to FIFA Congress before Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. were awarded the 2026 FIFA World Cup!!#United2026 #VWFC #OurAllOurHonour pic.twitter.com/GhfOvV6esg

— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) June 13, 2018

STYLE OF PLAY

The soon to be 18-year-old is a pacey winger who’s very comfortable with the ball at his feet. His close control, eye for a pass, dribbling skills and the tricks up his sleeve are the perfect attributes for a winger. The notable improvement in his end product this year is an encouraging sign as it shows that he’s working hard on his game. 

A lot of promising forwards are forced to develop the defensive side of their game when they play for top European clubs but that shouldn’t be an issue for Alphonso as he doesn’t shy away from his defensive duties.

"That's not potential, that's reality."@AlphonsoDavies vs. Minnesota last night = nothing but class 💯 #VWFC pic.twitter.com/yRbmm5Sg7L

— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 30, 2018

LA Galaxy striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is usually reserved with his praise of other players but Zlatan, who is refugee himself, only had words of encouragement for the youngster. 

“If he’s going to Bayern, then he’s a good player. They don’t choose bad players, especially young ones. At a club like Bayern, he will learn a lot. If they saw something, they saw something big, because they don’t get anyone just like that.”

“I just hope he’s ready when he goes there, because when he arrives he will be lonely and the competition will be big, so he needs to be mentally strong. And when he sees the big players, not show too much respect. You’re going there for a reason because you’re part of the team. Then it’s up to him to do the rest, so I see a bright future!” – Ibrahimovic said after his side’s win over Whitecaps in October.

Alphonso will join the Bayern squad in January 2019 and it will take him a while to adjust to the new surroundings and cope with the demands of European football. However, he has the potential to become a first-team player at Bayern and be their long-term replacement for the ageing Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

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Meet Alphonso Davies – the prodigy Bayern Munich imported from the MLS was originally published on 365 Football

[juditmiltz]

The making of Masoud Shojaee’s empire

Masoud Shojaee

From the fall issue: It may be hard to believe that the man who today oversees a vast empire of real estate development in South Florida, who relishes the riches of his success — driving a Rolls-Royce Wraith and sporting the latest fashions from Bijan and Dior — was once a frightened 18-year-old, completely alone in the U.S. as a freshman at the University of Miami, in exile from his home country, where a revolution was just beginning.

But Masoud Shojaee was once that kid. Supplied with seed money from his father, who was a developer in their native Iran, Shojaee began his career in building well before he turned 30. Today his firm, Shoma Group, develops apartment buildings, townhomes, office buildings and retail space in addition to the 10,000 single-family homes it has built since he founded the company in 1988.

The 57-year-old founder’s joie de vivre is as notable as the scale of his firm’s productivity. While friends note his generous character and sartorial sensibility, they’re just as apt to muse about his determination and focus in business.

The Coral Gables resident told The Real Deal that his goal is to bring new design concepts to the region — like choosing a minimalistic style rather than Mediterranean architecture at the nearly completed Oasis at Park Square in Doral, where each unit features a private rooftop with a Jacuzzi, barbecue area, bathroom and covered terrace.

“If you create something like this, you are separating yourself from competitors,” he said.

Shojaee’s ability to adapt to the changing conditions of the market is among the keys to his success. He started his career with a focus on single-family homes because they offer more flexibility: If the market takes a turn, you can switch plans.

“I am generally conservative, but I am a risk taker with a very calculated risk,” he said. “I would not just close my eyes and throw a dart. I have to study everything… .I play offensive and defensive — it all depends on the timing and the market.”

And as conditions have shifted toward the end of this cycle, Shojaee, too, is changing tack by shifting to multifamily projects.

“It is great cash flow and you have no risk, and you sell the building when it’s stabilized, or you decide to keep it, and two or three years from now, when the condo market is great, you do a condo conversion,” Shojaee said.

Although he has completed dozens of successful projects — as many as 10 at a time — Shojaee has also had his share of struggles and lawsuits. There was a failed hotel development plan in Las Vegas — a deal that collapsed in 2007 along with the economy.

And he is currently in the midst of litigation against Ugo Colombo, his partner on the planned Collection Residences. There’s also a suit against Colombo’s exotic-car dealership, the Collection, related to a $413,108 contract to purchase a Ferrari. On top of those, there’s the developer’s lengthy divorce that began when his wife, Maria Shojaee, filed in April 2015 after 29 years of marriage. Their former home, a Moroccan estate in Coral Estates, is on the market for $12.95 million.

Both Shojaee and Colombo declined to comment on the legal wranglings. Shoma still owns 50 percent of the property planned for the Collection Residences.

Andrew Hall, Shojaee’s friend and managing partner at Hall, Lamb, Hall & Leto, who represents him in the Collection Residences and Collection suits, said litigation is par for the course.

“Every major business person I have ever known has some degree of litigation associated with them, and it doesn’t mean they haven’t been successful,” Hall said.

Hall refers to his client as, “smart, knowledgeable, and he knows exactly what he needs.”

Shojaee’s aptitude for building is in his blood. Shojaee was born in Tehran, Iran, where his father had a large construction company that worked on government projects and employed 400 engineers. Amid strikes and brewing unrest, Shojaee left home in August 1978 to study electrical engineering at the University of Miami. Four months later, the Iranian revolution began. Businesses shut down. He couldn’t return to Iran.

His father retired and Shojaee’s life took a turn. He was on his own to continue his studies, earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering and taking additional classes, aiming for a Ph.D. in the subject.

He’d brought capital with him from Iran, and his family had sent more money to invest in the United States — an amount Shojaee will only peg as “millions” of dollars. While other friends of his with similar nest eggs wasted the money or partied it away, Shojaee used the funds to launch his career.

“His world changed on a dime, and he was literally on his own,” Hall said. “You receive a lot of money when you are 18 years old, that is a recipe for disaster: You are not competent to do much… .He took off and was terrifically successful. He went in the right direction.”

It was the mid-1980s, during the savings and loan crisis, “a good time to start looking for properties,” Shojaee recalled.

His first project, when he was 24, was a 48-home development in Kendall, called Kendall Best 2, in a joint venture with an experienced partner, Ernestino Abreu, principal of a family business, A & F Developer. The deal was that Shojaee would put up all the equity, and bank financing would provide the rest of the funds.

That led to a second, 58-lot project, Kendall Best 3, also with Abreu. After its successful sell-out, Shojaee decided he was ready to strike out on his own.

“I had my own way of envisioning [a project] and marketing that I was not able to do when I was doing the partnership,” Shojaee said. “I came up with better ideas and new ideas, to be more creative, to have a better design on the houses, to be a little bit innovative, to introduce new products.”

So in 1988, at 27, he started Shoma Development with 10 employees.

Abreu had partnered with the Somoza family of Nicaragua to develop hundreds of lots at Sunset Harbour, at Sunset Drive and 127th Avenue, and was ready to cash out. Shojaee bought Abreu’s share in the partnership for “a few million” dollars — a number he doesn’t recall exactly — taking on more than 200 lots to build single-family homes.

The next deal was even larger. Shojaee purchased 237 lots on Northwest 6th Street and 132nd Avenue for nearly $9 million, and developed homes on the property.

Then in 1992, he bid $6 million in a government auction of 700 lots and negotiated a deal to get 300 more, developing 1,000 single-family homes on 220 acres, called Tamiami 4 and Tamiami 5.

Shojaee’s strategy was to focus on the Hispanic market, advertising the homes on Spanish radio by broadcasting a live breakfast show from the sales office.

“That was one of the most successful projects I did,” he said. “Every [other] builder was selling maybe five units a month if they were doing really well, and I was selling somewhere from 20 to 30 homes a month in that location.” Prices ranged from $150,000 to $330,000 per home.

For Shoma’s single-family developments, Shojaee said the company handles 80 percent of the design, 100 percent of the construction and 90 percent of sales. That reduces costs, provides more control, and allows the company to establish relationships with buyers, he said.

Shoma Group recently renovated its headquarters at 201 Sevilla Avenue in Coral Gables.

During his earlier years, Shojaee said he was primarily focused on mid-market prices for single-family houses and townhomes, but he changed direction after the housing crisis of 2007, opting to build more luxury homes and townhomes priced at $1 million and up.

“We saw more of a trend that [buyers] are willing to pay more money and want a different product, so we changed to that,” he said.

But as Shojaee expanded into residential development in Broward and Palm Beach counties, in addition to office development, he needed a way to keep an eye on his many projects. When he renovated an office building in the Waterford office park, he used a helipad to board one of his two helicopters, in which he flies over and observes his projects across South Florida every day.

“It really helped me a lot,” he said. “I am a very hands-on person, and I like to overview and supervise every aspect of the business.”

For Steve Patterson, president and CEO of Related Development, Shojaee’s vigilance is one of the keys to his success. “He has an enormous sense of urgency with everything he does, and that is why he gets so much done,” Patterson said.

Shojaee even got into the aviation business in 2003, buying and selling planes and helicopters. In 2008, amid the downturn, he sold all the inventory for more than $150 million, he said. He reentered the aviation business two years ago, buying and selling more planes. He recently sold two Challengers and currently owns a Challenger 604 for his corporate use.

Shoma remains busy, working on six projects, planning four more and looking at single-family home construction in the Boca Raton area and Delray Beach. Most recently, the firm partnered with the Related Group on CityPlace Doral, a mixed-use project. Shoma is also finishing developing the homes at Oasis at Park Square at CityPlace.

In addition, in Coral Gables, Shoma has built custom homes and townhomes and recently renovated the company’s new headquarters at 201 Sevilla Avenue, where Shojaee works with his two daughters, Anelise, 31, and Lilibet, 28.

Shojaee is also planning to build 180 apartments and 50,000 square feet of retail space at 1515 San Remo Avenue, across from the Shops at Sunset Place.

In Miami Beach, Shoma is planning a luxury townhome project, Eleven on Lenox, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018. The three-story units will feature rooftop Jacuzzis and barbecues.

Parker of Douglas Elliman, which is now handling sales at Eleven on Lenox, calls Shojaee “a visionary.”

“There’s a certain flair to Masoud that is undeniable. It’s enjoyable. He’s respectful and firm and he knows what he wants and is relentless in getting it,” Parker said.

Shojaee also knows exactly what he wants from a sartorial perspective. He visits Bijan on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills every quarter and has suits designed with unusual twists like a yellow jacket with one black button and all the rest white buttons.

“I love to dress in something different,” he said. “It’s details that I pay attention to.”

Shojaee’s personal style may also translate into adding a scarf, or eschewing the custom of choosing a belt and shoes of the same color, and instead matching the jacket color with the belt, and opting for a different color in shoes.

A food and wine aficionado, he’s amassed a 2,500-bottle wine cellar, which includes about 20 bottles of Petrus Bordeaux.

As a frequent flyer, Shojaee also keeps an apartment in Montreal and makes regular visits to family in Paris.

“As much as he likes fancy things, he doesn’t define himself by it,” said Jay Parker, CEO of the Florida brokerage at Douglas Elliman. “We get a reputation in South Florida for being flashy. I don’t think he is all about flash. He likes finer things in life, but he is respectful and disciplined.”

Those who know Shojaee also call him a generous friend. Hall said Shojaee and he have a group of “highly accomplished” mutual friends, including high-profile attorney Scott Baena and others he declined to name. The group regularly gets together socially for dinner, each taking turns hosting. Hall said that when it was Shojaee’s turn last fall, he flew eight people on his private plane on an excursion to Austin, Texas, for a lunch and dinner of brisket and ribs.

As much as Shojaee relishes such leisure, he said he hopes to keep working for another 20 years.

“I hope I am healthy enough. I love to work,” he said. “I love to be in my office. I love creating things. I love what I do.”

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/issues_articles/the-making-of-masoud-shojaees-empire/#new_tab via IFTTT

[vitalmindandbody]

Mamadou Sakho: ‘Whatever they say or do, they cannot replace what they took away from me’

In an exclusive interview, the Liverpool defender who is on loan at Crystal Palace, talks for the first time about his devastation at missing out on Euro 2016, what he did during his ban and his future

For Mamadou Sakho, there is no satisfaction to be had in vindication. He has known for over a year he had done nothing wrong, and that the fat burner containing higenamine, for which he tested positive after helping Liverpool to Europa League progress beyond Manchester United, was not included on the World Anti-Doping Agencys prohibited list. Uefa had admitted as much last July before, in the first section of a 104-page dossier released this week by its control, ethics and disciplinary body, the blame game over the players ban degenerated into petty finger-pointing between the governing body and Wada.

The real victim, the man who had been denied involvement in a cup final and a place in the host nations squad at Euro 2016, can only watch as the bickering shames the authorities. I worked so hard to prepare myself for the European Championship, to help my country, to wear the France shirt in a tournament on home soil, says Sakho. Now Ill never do that. Whatever they say or do, they cannot replace what they took away from me. My lawyer can see what happens next but, for me, I focus on other things. I have learned in life you should never look back over your shoulder, wondering what might have been. That is the past. Always look forward, at the next challenge. Its life. Good and bad things happen, but my mentality is always to try and find a positive. It is the only way to be and, today, I am really happy.

The last 13 months have tested that admirable mindset but, while his circumstances have shifted dramatically, Sakho is not one for changing. He is sitting in a backroom at The Hoxton, a hotel in east Londons trendy Shoreditch, a Crystal Palace loanee whose impact at Selhurst Park has helped wrest five wins from seven matches to ease Sam Allardyces team away from the condemned. A player more used to competing at the top end of a division has been a colossus a leader and organiser, a warrior and inspiration delivering everything Palace hoped he might. He has already achieved cult status among his adopted supporters, just as he had back at his parent club. On Sunday at Anfield, where he will be ineligible, he will watch on from the stands with both teams potentially, if privately, wishing they had him to plug the Sakho-shaped holes in their respective defences.

He admits to finding that scenario awkward, as if uncertain where his loyalties should lie, but it is just the latest twist to an unconventional year. Some of his setbacks have been self-inflicted perceived tardiness on Liverpools pre-season tour of the United States, for which he apologised and was fined, helped fracture his relationship with Jrgen Klopp but it was that routine drug test and the assessment of his urine sample undertaken at a Wada-accredited laboratory in Cologne which had nudged his career on its unexpected course. Sakho has never denied taking the product which contained higenamine and, after liaising with Liverpool, voluntarily made himself unavailable once Wada flagged up the positive test. Uefa would ban him for 30 days pending its own investigations, inquiries which ultimately saw it query whether higenamine should even be considered a prohibited beta2-agonist.

The centre-halfs last appearance for Liverpool had been as a goalscorer in a 4-0 victory over Everton. Less than a week earlier he had scored his sides equaliser in that staggering Europa League quarter-final comeback over Borussia Dortmund. Sitting out what followed fuelled frustration and anger, born of a feeling of helplessness.

But for me, the hardest moment was when I saw my Mum, my sister, my brother, my wife in tears they didnt understand the situation, says Sakho. That was difficult, seeing them upset. They were devastated, but I was there trying to explain to them I had done nothing wrong, and that everything would be alright. It would all be fixed. I was actually quite calm, quite peaceful, and just trying to reassure them. It was a time for me to be strong, and those who are close to me had faith. We knew that, eventually, I would be proved right.

Crystal Palace won their first four games with Mamadou Sakho in the team, including the victory at Stamford Bridge over Chelsea. Photograph: PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock

He would be, but not before he had sat out the Europa League final, where Sevilla eventually overran Liverpool, and been overlooked for Frances squad for the summers championships. Missing out on a home tournament, whose showpiece would be staged just across the Parisian pripherique from where he grew up in Goutte dOr, was cruel. Uefas disciplinary body would absolve him of any fault just 48 hours before the final. I knew the ban meant I could not be picked, so I spoke with the manager Didier Deschamps and promised I would come to Frances first game, and to their last game too, and that I hoped that would be the final. It was. I visited the team hotel in Paris the day before the final to show my support. My ambition is still to play for my country at the World Cup in 2018, and regain my place.

During that whole period I spent time with my family, and with my charity [AMSAK] in Senegal and Ivory Coast. I know I have been lucky in my life and can give something back. We visited an orphanage, a school for deaf and dumb children, and a juvenile jail, speaking to the kids there, giving them advice because everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to learn, to share knowledge. Doing that does feel like a release, a chance to put out a positive message and show that everyone can do something to help in his own way. I am lucky I can use my status in a positive way and give something back. You have to help people find a better level, always. The world can be better as a result.

Life at Liverpool was always a game of catch-up after the suspension, with the issues over the summer confirming the team had moved on. An August switch never materialised and he went into the final hours of the January transfer window uncertain where his future lay. Palace, 19th and defensively fragile, won at Bournemouth on the night of the deadline with Allardyce unsure whether he would end the game having secured Sakho or the Everton striker Arouna Kon as his second top-flight loanee. There were frantic post-match telephone calls conducted by the chairman, Steve Parish, and the manager in a corridor at the Vitality stadium as the clock ticked down, with Sakho waiting in the clubs office up in Soho. It was only after midnight that the Premier League ratified the defenders arrival on a five-month deal.

Id only heard good things about the manager, and his being here helped make my decision easier, says Sakho. I spoke with [the Rubin Kazan midfielder] Yann MVila, who had worked with him at Sunderland last season, and he spoke so highly of the coach. He knows what he is doing, a top manager. Then there were people like Yohan Cabaye and Christian Benteke who told me this was a good team, a good club, and reassured me the move would work for everyone. Then there was the chairman. When he spoke to me on the telephone, he sold me his club. The passion with which he spoke about Palace it really touched me. He transmitted that emotion to me in the telephone call. Hes a man of his word. He made me want to fight for his club.

Look, it was still a big challenge, and a very different kind of challenge. But Im so glad I did it. I get a kick out of being out on the pitch, playing football again. I am playing in front of big crowds, fans who appreciate my style of play. Ten months is a long time, but theres no secret to hitting the ground running. No magic formula. I never stopped training and working really hard at Liverpool, over the summer and Im proud of the effort I put in. It is paying off. It comes from my parents. They came to France 30 years ago from Senegal and it was so hard for them. They had to fight for everything, and they transferred this mentality to me. It is in my football, and it comes from the upbringing my parents gave me.

Mamadou Sakho visited the France team during Euro 2016 to give them support and hope to represent his country at next years World Cup. Photograph: Dave Winter/Icon Sport via Getty Images

His seven matches to date have yielded 16 points, four clean sheets, a win at Chelsea, a first home success over Arsenal since 1979 and, most surreal of all, a celebratory jig of appreciation on the pitch from Sasa Curcic. Allardyce and Palace would be eager to retain his services if they retain their Premier League status, even with his asking price spiralling closer to 30m with each eye-catching display. But you know, to talk about my future now is almost… goste. Yes, selfish. It is not the time. My only goal is the mission I have accepted at Crystal Palace, and Im trying to help them succeed in what they need to do. Im part of a team, and its the team that matters. Not my future. Not my contract. Not what happens next.

Its all about seeing Palace safe, and were not there yet. If I wear the Liverpool shirt again I will gladly. I have three more years of contract there. But if I have to stay at Palace, I would do that gladly too. Im happy, I feel good here. Im also someone who is ambitious, so I will let my agent deal with that in the summer and well see where we are. If my future proves to be somewhere else well, so be it. Ill leave everything on my mothers prayers.

Sunday will be strange. I will be there with the Palace squad but, for this game, Im in an awkward position. I have a foot in each camp. I still belong to Liverpool, a great team with a great manager, a club I really appreciate. I had this great relationship with the Liverpool fans and the players. But I now have that same relationship with Palace and their fans. The team as well. Everything has gone so well in the last few months maybe this should be a case of may the best team win.

Liverpool will always mean something to Sakho, as was demonstrated by his recent post on Instagram on the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. But, today, I am with Crystal Palace, he adds, and we need those three points.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

The post Mamadou Sakho: ‘Whatever they say or do, they cannot replace what they took away from me’ appeared first on vitalmindandbody.com.

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