There are few players in French football today who are able to divide opinion like Samir Nasri. A misunderstood genius to some; a trouble-maker, incapable of showing accountability for his actions to others. Loved then hated by Arsenal fans; from great white hope to great white elephant for France fans. Performing (intermittently) well enough for Manchester City to earn another France call up, only to disappoint when swapping sky blue for Bleu.
Nasri’s international career now looks to be over, after Didier Deschamps left him out of the France squad for last summer’s World Cup in Brazil. His last match for France was the 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the play-off against Ukraine; he did not appear in the cathartic 3-0 second leg victory, with rumours later surfacing that a delegation of players had asked Deschamps for his exclusion.
Speaking to l’Equipe this week, Nasri looked back on his career and, in particular, his complicated relationship with the France team:
You turned professional ten years ago and your story is one of a great rise to the top in your club career but of misunderstandings and fallings-out with France. What do you say to that brief summary of your career?
I tell myself that it hasn’t been too bad in my club career, but there is a feeling of unfinished business in my international career. Missing two World Cups is the biggest disappointment of my career. I’d dreamt about it since I was a kid and, being left behind on the pretext that I would be a bad influence on group spirit, that’s … That’s what hurts the most.
Two radically contrasting portraits of Samir Nasri are often painted. One of a club player who is recognised and appreciated and one, in the national team, who divides, annoys and worse… Do you understand why?
(He smiles) Honestly, no. At some point, when it happens several times, you do start questioning yourself… I really saw myself going to this World Cup (in Brazil). OK, I did everything that I could in 2010, but I was coming back from a broken fibula, I wasn’t getting on with the older players, I can understand… But this time… I spoke about it with those with whom I was close in the national team. I asked them if I had an attitude which could lead the coach to say anything about me, and they confirmed to me that no, everything was fine. I also questioned certain players, to ask if they had any problems with me, and they replied in the negative.
The players whom you went to see could easily have been lying.
Maybe… I don’t know. Me, I am used to being honest. Maybe sometimes I can come across as arrogant. But I don’t like hypocrisy. If I had a problem with a player and he came to see me, I’d tell it like it is.
Whatever happens now, whatever success you have in your club career, your name will always be associated with attitude problems in France… How do you live with that?
Badly. Very badly. Not for me personally, but for my family. Especially after Euro 2012, when lots of things were said. (He smiles) OK, I was in the wrong too, but I don’t think I deserves such a trial. Players went on strike (2010) and were forgiven, and me, three years later, my attitude is still spoken about. To be one of the least liked sportsmen, even though I now live in England, is not easy… You want to please everyone, even though that isn’t possible…
Indeed, last December, a survey was published in VSD on the least liked French sportsmen and you were…
(He smiles and interrupts) Second… Behind Franck (Ribery).
And just ahead of Anelka. A fine threesome.
A fine threesome, yes. (He laughs) Later, I saw a programme that evening on l’Equipe, your channel, where it was said that the names were suggested. But anyway, it’s not very flattering. I could have done without that. But it’s the way it is.
You’re also accused of being harmful to the squad when you don’t play.
When I’m not playing, honestly, I’m not happy, that’s obvious. I’m happy to admit that. In 2008, those in the team, for me, deserved their starting place. Franck, Maloud (Malouda), they deserved to play, no problem. At the time, they were better than me. After 2010, yes, when I didn’t play, I wasn’t happy. (Smiles) But harmful… In what way? I never went to see someone, saying “Oh, you too, you’re better, you should play”. That, no, never.
But you were criticised for that.
Well, it’s not true. I have a long face, yes, you can see on my face that I’m not happy, but that’s all. I’m not a saint, far from it, but at the same time I’m not the devil, there in the changing room, trying to influence people or getting into arguments with people. That is just not true.
Then how can certain people with whom you’ve been in the squad have that feeling?
I don’t know. I don’t even open up to people in the first place.
Maybe that’s the problem.
Me, I say good morning, good evening. If I don’t click with you, I don’t speak to you. I’m certain that if, tomorrow, you tell me the names of those who said that, they’re people to whom I don’t speak.
Even if you don’t have to all be friends, it’s annoying isn’t it?
No…Why? That’s the way I am. It’s a kind of protective barrier that I put up for myself.
They might think that you’re a State Within A State, especially through your relationship with Ribery.
(Smiles) Maybe. Didier Deschamps criticised it. He told Jean-Pierre Bernès (both men’s agent) that we were too close, that we should open up to others, that we intimidated certain people. Ha! Intimidated how? We don’t speak to them, we’re just speaking between ourselves… We had a group that had known each other since 2009, there was Karim (Benzema), Eric (Abidal), Franck (Ribery), Patrice (Evra), me, there you go, we had a laugh, we kept to ourselves.
But that’s hardly positive, that behaviour.
(He gets worked up) But it’s not negative either. We say hello to everyone, we show respect to everyone. But then I have more affinity with them, so I hang out with them rather than with others.
But when the coach then reads that Franck Ribery thinks that you should be a starter, than could annoy him. It smacks of lobbying.
But that isn’t my problem. If that’s Franck’s opinion… I didn’t ask Franck to speak for me.
Over the last few months, in your rare media outings, you’ve refused to mention Deschamps’ name. You did just now…
Yes… Because I don’t have feel anything for him. I have it in for him for what he did to me. Depriving me of a World Cup when, on the pitch, I did everything to be there… I’ll never forget that. But fine, his name is Didier Deschamps, there you go…
Is the worst thing, in the end, that he refused to speak to you?
You make your choices, fine, I accept that, but you can give me an explanation. Especially as I did everything… Jean-Pierre Bernès told him “he’ll take a plane, he’ll meet you wherever you want”. The reply was no. “I’ll come, you can bring Guy Stephan (Deschamps’ assistant), there’ll be four of us. Then at least you’ll have someone on your side, I’ll be on his, and we’ll clear the air.” He didn’t want to do that either. That’s what I won’t forgive him for. What did I do to you for you to refuse even to speak to me? Afterwards, it was “no, he’s bright, he’ll say all the things I want to hear.” (Big smile and long silence)
You’re a starter at Manchester City, reigning English champions, a club where the competition is huge. Do you never worry that the situation with les Bleus will affect the mark that you leave on the game?
Manuel Pellegrini (City coach) spoke to me about it a little, saying: “You should return to the international team, it’s your country”. But no… It doesn’t make me happy. To be honest, I suffer when I’m there.
Announcing your international retirement at your age when the coach doesn’t want you anyway, wasn’t that just stirring?
No, it wasn’t. He did a World Cup, but I’m not saying to myself: he is never going to call me again. No, I just don’t see myself returning to the national team, that’s all, and I am being genuine about that, whoever the coach is.
You know the history of your sport very well and you know the importance of the national team. We believe that you are being genuine but we find it hard to believe that it’s how you feel deep down.
We’ll see in ten years’ time. There’ll be another coach, well before that even, and we’ll see.
If we asked you what you really thought of Didier Deschamps, what would you reply?
(Laughs) I plead the fifth!
Imagine the cameras aren’t rolling.
I plead the fifth…
It’s too dangerous?
No but… better to keep quiet.
What would you say to him if he were here now?
Oh! (Long silence) I would say (He smiles) I’m thinking… You never know, he could file a complaint against me… (Long silence) I would tell him that he is a hypocrite and that… he should have acted like a man and taken responsibility for his decisions, by telling me: “listen, it’s like this, you’re not coming, you’re not happy, tough luck”. But at least have a discussion about it like a man.
He could reply that he doesn’t have the time to speak to everyone.
Yes. He has the time to speak to some, and not to others.
And Noël Le Graët [FFF President], if he were here now?
The same.
Is it true that, at Euro 2012, after showing your anger with l’Equipe after your goal against England (1-1), with your finger on your lips and saying “shut your mouths…” he said to you “Samir, you are right”?
(Smiles) Yes. And it’s the same person who, two weeks later, when he needed to improve the image of the France team, kept calling me to ask me to apologise in public, saying “don’t worry, the disciplinary commission will be soft on you, we need you”. When I did it, I didn’t hear of him again. The same when I learnt that I had been suspended for three matches by the Federation and that I wouldn’t receive my bonuses. I wrote to ask that my bonuses go to charities. I was told: “no, that’s not possible, it will go to amateur football”. “OK, I’ll choose the teams that I played with then.” “No, impossible as the money has already been distributed.” All that because there were elections coming up (for the FFF Presidency)… There you go… They are both hypocrites, for me.
Your image is spoken about a lot. But isn’t the worst thing, really, your performances for France?
I admit that I haven’t played my best football for France. I wasn’t at the same level, in certain matches, that I reached in important matches for my club… I don’t know why, it’s hard to explain… In the France team there is always a certain expectation. If I was positioned behind the striker, everyone expected me to do a Zidane… Well, I don’t quite have his talent… (Smiles)
To end, would you agree to answer to a few more direct questions?
(Smiles) Go on then…
Are you a big manipulator?
No.
You’re criticised for that.
By whom?
Many people.
L’Equipe! (Laughs) Vincent Duluc, Sébastien Tarrago [Equipe journalists]! (Smiles) They say that I’m a manipulator. In England I don’t have that image.
Quite a few players too.
(Laughs again) Who? If you’re going to be direct, I can be too.
You know perfectly well.
Honestly, no. I’d like to know though.
Are you egotistical?
In what way? I am not on the pitch. I should be a little more, actually. Because I don’t score enough, I always want to provide the assist. Otherwise, I can be egotistical, for example, when I am not playing, by being unhappy and not thinking of the group. So let’s say it’s 50-50.
Are you a bit of a dick?
No, no, no, I’m not. (Pauses) OK then, sometimes… Yes, I can say that I am a bit of a dick sometimes.
Why?
I don’t know, I like to be sometimes. That’s how it is. Sometimes I like annoying people.
That’s weird. It’s good to admit it, but it’s weird.
No, it’s how it is. I don’t like keeping quiet. If I feel that there has been an injustice, I will come and open my mouth on behalf of the group. I admit it. Sometimes, yes, I can be a bit of a dick.
Have you “opened your mouth” too often?
Yes. Sometimes it’s better to keep it shut, but it’s something I’m incapable of doing. I could do it when I was younger, and I sometimes came home with a knot in my stomach. Then you end up exploding but at the wrong person. So I’d rather say everything that I think, even if it means not being liked, or being seen as arrogant, or being a bit of a dick… At least the people I love don’t mind.
Are you very misunderstood?
(Smiles) Yes… I think that I’m misunderstood. Sometimes. I’m not saying that I’m always right. But yes, in certain situations, I’m misunderstood.
Next time you play against Tottenham, will you shake Hugo Lloris’ hand?
(He hesitates) Yes…
Will you ask for some explanations?
I’ve already asked him. He told me nothing happened, yet I had it confirmed to me by a journalist that he went to see Didier Deschamps, sent by three players apparently, to ask for me to be excluded from the squad after the match against Ukraine (the first leg, lost 2-0, in November 2013). I called him and he said that it was not true. If I have confirmation, maybe I won’t shake his hand, I don’t know…
What is your feeling on the subject?
There’s no smoke without fire.
One could say that about you.
Maybe…