Croatian Gold Medal downhill skier Skier Janica Kostelic and Raula Palmoresa are an item according to the article. The pictures are fromt he Croatian Olympic ski federations dinner gala in Zadar Croatia! Raula plays for the current plays for croatian first division club Zadar!
He doesn't seem to have problems working I was thinking more from the PR angle. What a great way to get himself some free publicity!
Translation of article Raul's little brother's team happens to have a Serbian, so we got the article translated: THE SMITTEN HEART OF JANICA KOSTELIC In the embrace of her Latin love (photo) The number one female skier in the world met her 20 year old boyfriend Raul Palomares, a player with the Bosnian soccer club Zepce, while both were being treated for injuries in a clinic in Selcu. When the band at the premier event for the Croatian ski team struck up "Besame Mucho" and "Love is in the Air", the world's top female skier 21 year old Janica Kostelic's eyes radiated happiness and with good reason. She has spent another successful ski season in the company of her new beau, 20 year old Raul Palomares a member of the Bosnian soccer club Zepce from whom she could not separate herself the entire evening. The Latin American with the characteristic thin mustache has won the heart of our "Snow Queen". They met while both were recuperating from sports related injuries- Janica from meniskus surgery and Raul from a muscle injury. They sat at the head table in the company of Her family including Ivica Kostelic and his girlfriend the American skier Caroline Lalive. Judging by the warm reception, Raul has obviously made a good impressionot only with her parents, but with Caroline who also met him during his treatment at the clinic. A DOWN TO EARTH GUY All evening Janica and Raul were tederly kissing and lovingly gazing into each others eyes, while feeding each other.[ the translator is diplomatically toning down the original text here] The master of ceremonies, sports commentator Ivan Blazicko teased Janica that she might now be ready to take up a Spanish language course, but that won't be necessary as Raul is fluent in Spanish English and German and even understands Croatian although with a little difficulty. Born in 1983 in California, Raul Palomares is of Mexican heritage. His father Jose Luis Palomares, a former soccer player and trainer is a mechanic by trade and has financed his son's career for years. Raul came to Europe at 14 and six years ago signed a 4 year contract with the German club FC Kaiserlautern, where his talent was noticed by Nenad Bjelica who recommended him to the Croatian Club NK Osijek from whichhe transferred to NK Graficar-Vodovod. after his work permit expired in in Croatia in 2002, he went to neighboring Bosnia and signed on with Zepce. His debut is eagerly anticipated in the near future perhaps as early as the team's next game with arch rival NK Posusja.
It must be the dream of most every Latino in LA to hone his footballing craft so he can hook up with a Croatian skier and play for a team in........*gasp* Bosnia. I'm telling you, when I saw this kid play for Heat back in 98, he was better than Donovan.
What a surprise if he still is. Wouldn't be the first player to labor in the trenches until "discovered". He' still only 20.
I just laughed my self silly reading this. Graficar is something of an Osijek subsidiary in the Croatian 3. division . He went from playing in the Croatian 3. division to playing in Bosnia to hooking up with one of the world’s top female athletes. Just can’t believe this.
So you’ve been to Zepce? As I soldier I presume? If that’s the case can I ask you a non-soccer question? Do you have any idea why Karadzic and Mladic have still not been arrested?