Xabi Alonso went in just a few hours from the centre of the pitch at the Vicente Calderón stadium to an improvised runway for a photo shoot at the Madrid College of Architects. The Madrid player, who will be endorsed by a clothing manufacturer, was speaking in purely sporting terms at the end of a promotional event. Of course, the FIFA virus, which has taken such a toll on his team, was one of the main talking points of the press conference. The midfielder, who is the face of a men’s’ fashion label called “Black”, had a hard time dodging the question: Is “black” meant to be a reference to the situation of Madrid’s wingers? To which Xabi replied: “Black means black. No, seriously though, things are looking
pretty black. It’s really unlucky that in seven days all three have fallen ill. I am sure the coach must be looking for solutions”.