In the family of former players turned TV consultants, Robert Pirès is not known for being the most impactful of the bunch. The 1998 world champion, however, strengthened his speech when he spoke about his vision of current football.
“ The Manchester derby, I was really bored, what, confessed the former Arsenal player in Mehdi Maïzi’s MouseCast show. As in many matches, whether in France, Spain, Italy… For me, technically, certain players are limited. You look at a list of Ballon d’or in my time and a list of Ballon d’or today…”
Robert Pirès with Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, during the heyday of the Arsenal Gunners.
Clearly, it is in a very specific aspect that the 1998 world champion deplores a regression on the part of high-level players. “Technically I think it’s less good than before, believes the former winger. And that’s just my opinion, maybe I’m wrong. It bothers me when people tell me that a player is strong because he moves fast, because he is athletic. Okay, but what is he doing with his feet?! That’s what interests me. »
Robert Pirès, an “old fool”?
This passage was widely relayed on social networks, in particular thanks to the post of an X user, who left an unequivocal comment (“Another old fool”). And Robert Pirès received a rather dry response from a very young retiree, the ex-Lensois Jimmy Cabot who has just ended his career at only 30 years old for health reasons.
“ The evolution of football certainly raises questions about its attractiveness, but this myth that players were more technical 20 years ago… And becoming a legend by playing in a chair two at a time or by dribbling football conscripts, it is no longer possible today. This is just my opinion,” denounced Jimmy Cabot.
For the former Lorient and Troyes player, football is changing, but that does not mean that the intrinsic level of the players has fallen. “ If we had to define football at its maximum evolution, the players would go to 2000, the passes would be perfect and quick, one, two or three touches of the ball. Zidane and Ronaldinho would be absent in this football, believes Cabot, but that’s not what we want to see on TV, obviously. » Certainly not Robert Pirès, in any case.
