•  The other football

As a youth, Cesaro competed in European football.

“The real football [soccer] that we play in Europe,” the athletic Cesaro chuckled, “without the pads, with an actual ball that you play with your foot as opposed to the egg and the hand.

“I played basketball, rugby as I mentioned, anything that you could play outside with your friends. We played baseball. We tried anything as long as it was fun.”

Cesaro also served in the Swiss Militia.

•  Swiss Miz

U.S. champ Antonio Cesaro wrestles The Miz during the WWE Elimination Chamber live on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 17 from the New Orleans Arena.

“I’m very excited about the Elimination Chamber, the last pay-per-view before WrestleMania,” Cesaro said. “Everybody wants a win, wants to get on a roll, to head into WrestleMania with a lot of steam, and that’s what makes the Road to WrestleMania so exciting for the fans to watch.

“The Elimination Chamber [PPV] is going to have some great matches. Obviously, it will have me defending my U.S. championship against The Miz, which should be great if you like seeing The Miz get beat up.”

Also, The Rock defends the WWE Championship against CM Punk (with Paul Heyman). If The Rock is disqualified or counted out, he loses the championship.

Cesaro observed: “Rock vs. Punk is a rematch from the Royal Rumble, and if Rock gets DQ’d or counted out, the title changes hands, which is great as I’m looking forward to seeing Punk win the title again.”

World champ Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) versus The Big Show.

Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler in an elimination chamber for a World championship title shot at WrestleMania 29.

Cesaro said: “The elimination chamber is always very exciting and always very unpredictable.”

John Cena, Sheamus and Ryback battle The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins).

Cesaro said: “This is only The Shield’s second sanctioned match in WWE, and if you saw the first match, you kind of know what you’re in for. It will be very exciting.”

WWE women’s champ Kaitlyn against Tamina Snuka.

Pre-show: Brodus Clay and Tensai (with Cameron and Naomi) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes).

Cesaro said: “It’s going to be a great night to be a WWE fan in the WWE Universe.”

The Elimination Chamber is the final pay–per–view stop before WWE WrestleMania 29 on April 7 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

• Twitter: @AntonioCesaro

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