The favoured sports of LaLiga's stars beyond the pitch

It may be the 'beautiful game', but football alone cannot quench the appetite for sport – not even among those who make their living with the ball at their feet. To mark the launch of LaLiga4Sports.es, a new online platform aiming to promote the work of the 64 sports federations in Spain and the Spanish Paralympic Committee, we look at the other sporting passions among the LaLiga crowd.

Basketball holds court

Basketball is among the most popular sports with LaLiga players. Antoine Griezmann is a particular enthusiast, frequently advertising his love of the Chicago Bulls – where his compatriot Joakim Noah plies his trade – and demonstrating that his adeptness at finding the net applies equally to the hoop. Griezmann's Atletico Madrid teammate Juanfran Torres is also a devoted NBA fan, as is Real Sociedad's Sergio Canales.

No crees que merezco un sitio en la @NBA @threekola ? 

Do you think I deserve a place in NBA Niko ?  pic.twitter.com/Mxb1b1S8wc

— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) November 29, 2015

Basketball is even sometimes incorporated into training at LaLiga clubs. For example, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane put on a fun game in one of his sessions, in which his players could be seen having a blast as they performed lay-ups and dunks by the basketful. Speaking of Los Blancos, Toni Kroos is an admirer of the Dallas Mavericks, whose stars include his fellow German Dirk Nowitzki.

Padel making a racket

Padel, tennis's younger cousin, is another sport that is all the rage among footballers. Especially among the Getafe CF squad, where the likes of Vicente Guaita, Juan Rodriguez and Pablo Sarabia are known to be massive fans. Meanwhile, over at FC Barcelona, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta have shared a court with Argentinian padel pro Fernando Belasteguin on more than one occasion.

Pique also makes no secret of his love of basketball, heading to watch Barça in action at the Palau Blaugrana whenever his schedule allows, and he never misses the NFL Super Bowl if he can help it.

Masters of multiple trades

There are some players for whom one or two sports isn't enough. For instance, Asier Illarramendi took part in a triathlon last summer to get himself into tip-top shape for the season. Meanwhile, RC Deportivo's Pedro Mosquera is a keen 'surfie' and also used to play roller hockey, following in his grandfather's footsteps. Real Madrid's Gareth Bale is another whose sporting interests go well beyond the football pitch: as a kid he played rugby and hockey to a high level, as well as trying his hand at athletics, and these days he loves his golf.

Probably a little more used to the shape of this ball than some of the other lads  #AFL pic.twitter.com/oKV0BCx0El

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) July 17, 2015

Fondness for other sports also extends into the dugout, with coaches such as Luis Enrique and Victor Sanchez del Amo prime examples. The Barcelona boss remains an impressive athlete many years after hanging up his boots and has completed several marathons, triathlons and Ironman events. The Deportivo manager, for his part, boxes and plays both padel and golf.

Find out more about LaLiga4Sports here