A beleza do futebol

The Iniesta Generation
By JACK BELL

Soccer players are reputed to do it for 90 minutes and some fans of Barcelona, inspired by their favorite team, did it … and did it … and did it. It has been nine months since Barcelona, within the span of only a few days, trounced its arch rival Real Madrid, 6-2, in the country’s capital and ran away with the title in Spain’s La Liga. Then, in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal at Stamford Bridge in London, Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta scored the away goal that sent Barca to the final, where it thrashed Manchester United. Fans being fans, some celebrated with a few pints of their favorite adult beverage, others engaged in another favorite adult activity — sex.
On Thursday, Reuters reported the maternity wards at hospitals in the capital of Catalonia have been jammed after an increase in births of almost 50 percent. COMRadio’s survey of area hospitals found that births this week and those expected soon are more than 45 percent above the average.
Residents have dubbed the surge in births the Iniesta Generation. It is not known, however, how many of the bouncing young Catalans have been named Andrés.
“When we notice some sort of surge we look for the reason and it’s evident that the cause of the increase this week is the euphoria of Barca fans thanks to the huge win and Iniesta’s goal,” Mercedes Rodriguez of the city’s Quirón Clinic told the daily El Mundo.