Athletes celebrate ChristmasPremier League stars such as Nathan Aké, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo continue to play football during the Christmas period, but most athletes now have plenty of time for family around the Christmas tree or go on holiday. View below an overview of the best Christmas photos and videos of athletes from home and abroad.
Max Verstappen surprised the fans on Saturday at the karting center Brasília Kart in the Brazilian capital Brasília. The newly crowned three-time Formula 1 world champion went karting for an evening with the family of his fiancée Kelly Piquet, daughter of the legendary Brazilian F1 driver Nelson Picquet, also three-time world champion in the premier class of motor racing. Mexican-American NASCAR driver Daniel Suárez was also part of the group. He is the fiancée of Kelly’s sister Júlia Piquet.
Verstappen started the mutual kart race last, but was already in the lead after one lap. ‘Of course’ he won.
The ‘kartodrómo’, as the karting center in Brasília is also called, then challenged the drivers and the rest of the public to to improve Verstappen’s fastest lap time. Only Rodrigo Piquet, a nephew of Verstappen’s father-in-law and one of the best Brazilian kart racers, managed that.
The Piquet group arrived at the karting center in a classic Volkswagen Kombi, restored and pimped up by Nelson Piquet. According to Brazilian media, the car has an Audi 20-valve turbo engine, produces 470 hp and can go faster than 200 km/h.
Portal RBR Brasil 🇦🇹🇧🇷
@BRredbullracing
2023 was an eventful year for the Steijn family. Maurice almost achieved European football with Sparta, but in the final of the play-offs he lost to his son Sem’s FC Twente. On the way back to Rotterdam it became clear that Maurice would become the new trainer of Ajax. He started in good spirits, but after eleven official matches (only two victories) the marriage was already over. Since then, Maurice has returned to being the proud father of Sem and Biba and husband of Priscilla. The foursome celebrate Christmas in Marrakech.
The Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi suffered a black eye in the city derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, which little with football had to do. Shortly after the match he sat with his teammate Lucas Torreiraare wife Wanda and all her and his children at Christmas dinner in Istanbul.
Jutta Leerdam rings in the Christmas holidays with a dance with her boyfriend Jake Paul, who played Andre August last week insane knockout treat at their fight in Orlando.
Jake also shared a picture from Jutta’s home in Heerenveen with his 25 million followers on Instagram.
Loris Karius will be remembered forever concussion and blunders in the Champions League final of 2018 between Liverpool and Real Madrid. Nowadays he is the third goalkeeper at Newcastle United, but outside the lines he is doing very well.
The 30-year-old German is in a relationship with the famous Italian presenter Diletta Leotta (9 million followers on Instagram), with whom he had daughter Aria in August. Due to the injury of first goalkeeper Nick Pope, Karius may return to the bench on Boxing Day, when Newcastle United receives a visit from Nottingham Forest.
Lieke Martens is having a winter break with her club Paris Saint-Germain. The Dutch attacker celebrates the holidays with her husband Benjamin van Leer in Estepona in the sunny south of Spain. Van Leer has been a real estate agent at Turnkey del Sol since the summer of 2022 and also bought a house in a place where the sun almost always shines. Nicely observated!
David Villa (42) is back for Christmas in his birthplace Langreo, near Oviedo in the north of Spain. The former striker of Real Zaragoza, Valencia, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Spain had his picture taken there with his statue, which was clearly made to life size.
Frank de Boer was two weeks ago fired from Al Jazira, but stayed in Abu Dhabi for a while. There he celebrates Christmas on the beach with daughter Beau, son-in-law Calvin Stengs and grandson Saint. Romy de Boer and Joey Kooij are also present in Abu Dhabi, where it is between 25 and 30 degrees every day during the Christmas period.
Ajax had a dramatic 2023 on a sporting and administrative level, which also ended just before Christmas with the historic cup defeat by the amateurs of Hercules. The Dutch record champion shared a video on social media in which he reflects on that disaster, but also looks ahead. “It’s not about how you fall, it’s about how you get up. Chin high, chest forward. The wings are growing again, because one day we will fly again. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day we will fly to the sun again.”
Feyenoord left back Quilindscy Hartman After a great 2023 at Feyenoord (and analyzing darts), he is also having a winter break. He took the plane to New York together with his girlfriend Kristy Willemstijn. After a walk in the enormous Central Park, he saw last night in the Barclays Center how the Brooklyn Nets treated the Detroit Pistons to their 26th defeat in a row in the NBA.
Santiago Gimenez and his fiancée Fer Serrano are also not the types to sit still during the winter break. The Feyenoord striker did not fly to Mexico, but took a plane to Switzerland with his fiancée and some other family members. They are now enjoying the snow in Verbier, although Arne Slot will undoubtedly have urged his striker to watch out for injuries.
Harry Kane spent his first six months as a Bayern Munich player in the luxurious five star hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich, where he was able to withdraw an amount of more than 1 million euros when checking out on Saturday. The 30-year-old striker from London has found a suitable home just before Christmas where he can settle down with his wife Kate and their four children. That promises something, because in the past six months Kane has already scored 25 times in 22 matches for the German record champion.
The boys from Soudal Quick Step are better on the bike than at singing, let’s just leave it at that.
Cyclist Demi Vollering has also had a great 2023, including wins in the Tour de France, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Amstel Gold Race. She celebrates Christmas in pajamas with her boyfriend Jan de Voogd.
The cyclist has the groceries for Christmas Lucinda Brand already with you. She left Antwerp on Saturday with a large bottle of Kwaremont after the Scheldt Cross, in which she finished second and thus consolidated her leading position in the World Cup rankings.
Who can fly higher? Santa Claus or Epke Zonderland?
Olympic and world swimming champion Sharon van Rouwendaal gave herself a special present for Christmas.
Atlético Madrid has perhaps shared the most beautiful Christmas message with this beautiful video.
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