Well no, actually. And I base this assertion not on any scientific data, any drop in the percentage of passes that Xavi Hernández makes per game or, in fact, any decline in Barcelona’s performances at all, really. I base it on one word (well, two in fact): Waka Waka. Yes, Barça’s downfall, if and when it comes, will not be masterminded by Real Madrid’s scheming coach José Mourinho, but rather by the unlying hips of Shakira, the new girlfriend of the Catalan team’s central defender Gerard Piqué. As I write this, I’m listening to Dónde están los ladrones, Shakira’s Andean diva-rock masterpiece, released in 1998 (when Piqué was 12 years old, incidentally). It’s striking because it’s … [Read more...] about It’s Shakira Barcelona should fear, not Real Madrid