He was part of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles and part of the World Cup winning French squad (1998 Fifa) and the Euro Cup winning squad (UEFA Euro 2000). Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a legend of the beautiful game, and is as passionate now as he was when he started out. Coming out of retirement for Goa FC as Captain, Pirès plays, and you see class in motion. Open, candid, honest and passionate, international footballer, former Arsenal attacking midfielder, Goa FC Marquee player continues to test his goal scoring abilities.
The playmaker tarries along with immense belief. Yet, underneath the tenacity, sheer passion and immense skill is a father that still goes “all mush” when speaking about his children — daughter Naia and son Theo. Busy teaching his magical footwork to his cute boy, the former gunner’s wife, model Jessica Lemarie recently uploaded a video showing Theo beating two players, including his dad, before cutting inside and scoring! Yes, a chip of the old block.
The French man who started his playing career at Reims at the age of 15 (for a sports degree) is as candid as he is focused on the field. “Being in Goa is a good experience, it’s a great feeling to be with the team. Since I love the sun and beaches, I was sure that the weather will not be a problem for me,” says Pirès.
The Goan fans have Robert’s stamp of approval, “They are very good. As a player, it is very important to see full stadiums and cheering fans, and Goa is chilled out, and the stadiums have a very wonderful atmosphere. The people here love football, and understand it,” adds the former Gunner.
Mention his family, and he is onto a topic that needs little prodding — he gushes, “Naia is surely the big boss at home! Oh yes, not my wife Jessica, believe me! Naia is the one who decides everything in the house. And that’s because she is so clever,” and it’s evident that the little Naia has her father as her biggest fan.
About his son Theo, who everyone continues to speculate about (Will he join Arsenal?), Pirès laughs, “I don’t know the future for my son. Theo loves football, and Arsenal, and he loves playing. He is good — just like me when I was young. He likes to watch the game and has a passion for it, let’s see what the future holds,” says Robert.
The man who’s known for his volatility on the field prefers to focus on the game. For him, Zico is a great manager for Goa FC, “He was such a great player, a legend in Brazil and across the world, and has played all over the world. It is great to have a manager like him,” he says. Looking back at his career with a sense of pride and joy, there is also humility and wisdom to the older Pirès, “When you play for the country (France), it’s the best feeling ever. My favourite all-time player is Zinedine Zidane — he was the best and it was a privilege to play with him, and the national team. We won the World Cup, so it was memorable,” he muses.
Robert Pirès has won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles with Arsenal. The second league title, in 2003-04, saw him play a starring role in a squad famously dubbed ‘The Invincibles’ after they went the entire season unbeaten.
Playing under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger, he says was a learning, “I have a lot of respect for him, he was great as a manager, and I learnt a lot from Arsene. For me, he was crucial to my footballing skills. I played with such great players (like Thierry Henry), it was a very very important part of my life,” Pirès adds.
His family has been staying with him in Goa. But London beckons, so that Naia and Theo can, in his words “work a bit as well (school),” and will probably come back for a holiday. Pirès has already created waves, and we wonder about Goa FC’s chances (they didn’t start well, but seem to be peaking right now). Pirès feels, “The season has been good, if we reach the semi-finals and play well, we have a chance of winning the battle. At the moment, we are doing good — there are many talented players and a great team, and we’ve won a couple matches, which is great news.”
About India, which languishes at 159 in the football world ranking, Pirès is hopeful, “I hope and wish for a time when your country gets better, there are a lot of Indian players. In my team itself, there is Romeo, Miranda, etc, and there is so much scope to learn at the high level.” Among the new breed of international players he says that there will always be a comparison, “Is it Cristiano or Messi? I like Cristiano Ronaldo, and prefer him because of the way he plays,” he adds.
In Goa he has been getting “local”, “When I go to a new country, I like to try local food, meet people,” he says.
Towering at 6 feet 2, Robert loves a game of tennis, “Apart from football, I like to play tennis and I have played matches with Nicolas Anelka,” Who won, we ask? And the light-hearted and guileless footballer smiles sheepishly. “Nicolas of course, he always wins against me.” Then he lets us in on why Goa seems to have touched a chord, “My father is Portuguese and I speak the language well. I’ve had a chance to speak it with a few Goans here.” With a very French accent on the Goan turf!
