The real revelation of a player’s character is not in his social life but in how he plays. In my social life I can hide my real personality.
Sometimes now, when I watch continental games on television, I’m a bit bored. I ask, ‘where is the intensity?’
If I were going to war I would want to be alongside an Englishman not a Frenchman. The Frenchman would think too much.
It’s like you wanting to marry Miss World and she doesn’t want you, what can I do about it? I can try to help you, but if she does not want to marry you what can I do?
Nobody will finish above us in the league. It wouldn’t surprise me if we were to go unbeaten for the whole of the season.
I am still hopeful we can go through the season unbeaten – a frightening thought.
The background looks like a lot of red cards.
In my job, you expect to suffer. That’s why when I go to hell one day, it will be less painful for me than you, because I’m used to suffering.
In England, football is important for everybody.
Fair play is an English word. It is not a French word, and it has been copied all over the world. Unfortunately, it does not function any more here.
My job is to give people who work hard all week something to enjoy on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
I’m French. 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.
As far as I’m concerned, this guy should never play football again. The answer you normally get after a tackle like that is ‘he is not the type of guy who does that.’ It’s like a guy who kills one time in his life – it’s enough. You have a dead person. This tackle is absolutely horrendous.
The score is high and very brutal but does not reflect what we saw on the pitch. The first shot on goal was a goal. The second was an own goal. The third was straight after half-time. They defend like mad and they catch us on the break.
It’s a strange atmosphere always over there, it is darker and less glamorous, and you don’t feel as high. It is a different kind of test – can you raise your level in a less exciting environment and perhaps still a very difficult one?
I take pride in the fact that people go home having felt that for 90 minutes today, life is beautiful – and that’s it, basically. That’s why professional football exists.
I have only been here since 1996 but between 1966 and 1996 England had thirty years without foreign players and didn’t win any more competitions in that time.
I am supposed to take the bullets and absorb them. Like a bear. A polar bear.
I didn’t know the English were good at swimming. I have been in this country for 12 years and I haven’t seen a swimming pool.
As a non-Arsenal player I would say Ryan Giggs is my Premier League player of the decade because he has combined style with winning. Also I feel sorry he could never attend the World Cup, somewhere where people get a lot of compliments when they do well.
I believe I do my job the way I have to do it.