Barcelona’s recent drop in form has sent the soccer world into conniptions. The seemingly unstoppable force that is “mas que un club” came to a screeching halt in Milan and was battered twice in a row by Real Madrid. Some have attributed their problems to the absence of manager Tito Vilanova who is currently in the US undergoing cancer treatments. Barca however might suspect a scandalous devil woman by the name of Shakira.

Spanish paper El Confidencial reports that the Spanish club hired now-defunct detective agency Método 3 to spy on fullback Pique in 2010.

Former mananger Pep Guardiola was worried about players partying and not focusing on their day jobs. He and others in the Barca hierarchy sent the agency to follow anyone they suspected of hitting the sauce too hard. Pique was one of the targets along with Deco, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho.

The news website El Confidencial reported that the club asked for Piqué to be followed in 2010 in order to see how much time he was spending partying. It says in September 2010 Piqué was trailed after going to a pop concert in Barcelona. Detectives logged the drinks he had and the time he got home. El Confidencial said the player eventually realised he was being tailed, but the club managed to persuade him that it was just the tabloid press.

The club issued a confusing denial. “The club does not wish to comment on this because it has no documentary evidence that this ever happened and, as a result, we deny it,” a spokesman said on Tuesday.

You got nothing. I got nothing. Arsene Wenger, who never sees or hears anything, would be proud of that denial. The club even offered to protect Pique from the tabloids to cover their tracks.

Guardiola even delayed signing a new contract with the club unless they got rid of Pique.

Al-Jazeera reported on the spying scandal which reaches beyond Barcelona into the highest levels of Spanish politics.

The former manager was also worried about Messi being led astray by Barca’s party contingent. Little did he have to worry. He’s not Brazilian or Diego Maradona.

It’s unclear why Barcelona would waste time following Ronaldinho. His partying style is legendary the world over. Who can forget the time he and Robinho went partying in Rio after a Brazil win? They turned a night at the club into a full on orgy with Robinho requesting 40 condoms from a club bouncer so they could line women up facing a wall and sex them all like Mutombo. Ronaldinho stayed in the club until 11 AM the next day before he left in the trunk of a car. At least he didn’t end up rolling with a transvestite like Brazilian compatriot (Fat) Ronaldo.

Ronaldinho, Robinho and Ronaldo bring up a tangential question. What is it about Brazilian players that seemingly makes so many of them prone to partying their way down from the heights of soccer stardom? We’ve seen it happen with those two as well as Adriano and many others. They have the world in their hands only to throw it away for booze, drugs and women.

Luckily Pique decided face down on Shakira was a preferable option to a table.

H/T to 101 Great Goals for the Al-Jazeera video

Rafael Nadal won the French Open yesterday. He did it wearing normal shorts instead of those manpris he usually sports. What’s the deal with capris anyway? Can’t decide whether you want to wear pants or shorts? Half ass it.

While Nadal was winning the Open, his competition was busy in the karaoke booth busting out terrible renditions of songs that suck when done by the original artists. Check out this year’s crop of “winners”.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Murray and Robin Söderling

1. Andy Murray should stick to rap.
2. Nadal beat Söderling for the title like a rented mule. The Swede deserved it after that performance in the booth.

Novak Djokovic decided to go after Nadal in a different way and well…um, see for yourself.

Novak Djokovic & Troicki

I’ll never watch a Shakira video the same way again. Nadal starred in the video for Gypsy. Think it’s fair to say Djokovic lost in more ways than one in Paris.