Wenger bars chocolate
Friday 6 October 2006
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The club chef Arsène Wenger brought over from Japan did not last long (©Getty Images)
Arsène Wenger celebrated the tenth anniversary of his appointment as Arsenal FC manager last week, leading to a flurry of discussion in England as to his impact on the Premiership. Significant was the unanimous conclusion but what was his secret?
Choc full
Simple. "I banned the players from stuffing their faces with chocolate," said Wenger, remembering his first game following his arrival from Nagoya Grampus Eight away at Blackburn Rovers FC. "On the bus to Blackburn the players were chanting, 'We want our chocolate bars'." However, his expertise at nutritional science does not extend to geography. "I'm French," he said. "I have not become an Englishman. I have the impression of living on an island called Arsenal. If you fancy a sightseeing tour of London, don't ask me. You would get lost."
On the road again
So just as well FC Zenit St. Petersburg fans did not phone Wenger rather than consulting their A-Zs. The Russian Premier League covers a vast area and the trip from St Petersburg to far eastern club FC Luch-Energia Vladivostok involves a 15,000km round trip. But that did not put off three Zenit fans, who decided to make the journey for their recent fixture by car. However, after the long drive to the game, which Zenit won 2-0, the supporters' 20-year-old car packed up, forcing them to return by train. Zenit, though, took pity and presented their loyal supporters with a new vehicle at their next home game, just in time for the forthcoming road trip to FC Spartak Moskva, a frankly walkable 650km away.
Brangelina like Beckham
Anyway, enough of plucky tales of loyalty, time for some Hollywood glamour. First of all, inevitably, football's answer to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and both Warner brothers, David Beckham. It is reported that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have enrolled their adopted five-year-old son Maddox in the David Beckham Soccer Academy in Los Angeles, and Pitt is determined that the boy gets ahead. "Brad has asked if there is any chance of David giving a one-on-one tutorial," a source told the Sun newspaper. Meanwhile, injured Werder Bremen midfielder Tim Borowski is making his screen debut, acting in a television film called I'll Get Divorced, in which he is seen persuading fans outside the Weserstadion as to the merits of fair play. "I have never done anything like this," Borowski said.
Spot prize
Borowski's Germany team-mate Jens Lehmann not only leads a chocolate-free lifestyle (at least while his club manager is watching) but also proved himself something of a specialist at penalty shoot-outs in the FIFA World Cup this summer - not an unusual trait for someone of his nationality. His secret was to write down his opponents' favoured shooting direction on a piece of paper to be studied between penalties - as he displayed in the defeat of Argentina, saving twice. Now his crib sheet, which became close to illegible as it was damp with sweat, is to be auctioned for charity. Incidentally, for those about to face Argentina in a shoot-out, Juan Román Riquelme, Gabriel Heinze, Lionel Messi, Pablo Aimar and Maxi Rodríguez all kick to the goalkeeper's left, while Roberto Ayala, denied in the shoot-out, aims the other way.
Sion plights
It has been a week to forget at Swiss club FC Sion. A bad start was made as they flew to Bayer 04 Leverkusen for the second leg of their UEFA Cup tie - or at least as they tried to. Their pilot refused to take off if the club took their practice balls on board, as apparently they would explode as the plane gained height. Sion tried letting the air out of the balls but it proved impractical and so the precious cargo was left behind. The game was lost, and the drama continued in their subsequent Swiss Cup tie at FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. At half-time Sion trailed 1-0, and coach Néstor Clausen decided enough was enough, and quit his job in the dressing room. It had an immediate effect - his now former charges went on to win 3-1 - but club president Christian Constantin was still nonplussed. "Clausen's time at Sion is over," Constantin said. "I found out the news at the same time as the players which was at half-time. I've never seen or heard anything like this."
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