France and Arsenal legend says India has plenty of potential for growth of football, but needs to think long term
"Robert Robert Robert Pires."
A hoard of Arsenal fans who assembled at a popular store in the city on Saturday afternoon couldn't stop chanting this slogan for a good couple of minutes. After all, they were seeing their club's legend, Robert Pires, sitting just metres in front of them.
The retired French footballer, one of Arsenal's most beloved faces, sat on his seat with a smile, almost blushing at the amount of adulation he was receiving. It didn't matter to the awe-struck fans that Pires was ready to talk, or that the organisers were asking them to settle down, or that the heat inside the store was increasing with every passing minute.
“Robert Robert Robert Pires.”
Finally, when silence surfaced, Pires spoke. "Thank you," he said, the smile still paused.
The 43-year-old isn't new to India. He played in the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League (ISL), turning up for FC Goa in 2014 before being released next year.
And yet, the passion that he sees for football among Indians takes him aback every single time. But it is also accompanied by a sense of "shame", of underachievement of the sport in the country.
"It's a shame because you (India) have good potential. You have big stadiums. The fans, they love football. You are very passionate about football. You have everything to make football a success in India," Pirez said on Saturday.
Why is not yet, then?
Pires, who won two Premier League and three FA Cups titles during his time at Arsenal between 2000 and 2006, reckoned that a part-time league in ISL will not do much for the growth of football in the country.
"Three months is not enough to play football, to play your league. The idea to mix the Indian players and foreign players is a good idea. But you need to work long term. ISL is very fast, and when you play every three days, the recovery of the body becomes very difficult. You need to make it a regular league. Three months is not enough at all," the famed winger said.
A majority of former footballers including Brazilian legend Zico have adviced India to follow the Japan model of growth, wherein foreign coaches are recruited to develop aspiring footballers from the onset of their careers. More importantly, the players should be willing to learn and then blossom on their own.
Pires seconded that thought.
"But for that, you need a good academy. Maybe, you need foreign managers. Managers are a lot like footballers, you need to mix them up. Because you need to learn.
"I repeat, you have very good potential to make your country a success in the future. The most important thing is that people are passionate about football. So, you need to give this passion to the kids. It's the most important thing: for you, for your country and for the future of football in India," Pires, who guided France to the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 Euros victory, said.
Towards the end of the event, the bunch of fans – still awe-struck – lined up for an autograph and a customary selfie with their Arsenal hero. Pires obliged each one of them, that smile still intact. The lucky few youngsters were living their dream.
But as Pires himself said, the unmistakable passion needs to translate into growth of Indian football.
When Wenger lost his cool
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is known to give very little away in terms of emotions. Calm and composed, he rarely gets overtly animated. But Robert Pires recollected the one time his manager got furious. "He's very calm, quiet. But I saw Wenger very upset only once. But it was normal, during the Manchester United-Arsenal game, when we lost 1-6 (in 2001). He was furious at that time. That's the only time I have seen Wenger get angry," he said.
PIREZ TALKS
On what makes Wenger so special
Everybody knows him, because he has been there for a long, long time. He keeps the same philosophy, and that is to play good football, which he learnt in France. So it's very important that he has stuck to his philosophy even in Arsenal. Both the club (management) and Wenger have the same goal, and that is to win the (EPL) title at the end of the season.
On Wenger's competition with high-profile managers
It's a very good motivation for Wenger. He can fight with great managers like (Jose) Mourinho, (Pep) Guardiola, (Antonio) Conte, (Jurgen) Klopp. So I think it's nice for football, for Premier League and of course, for Wenger and Arsenal.
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