august-2011

of the decade Chelsea had signed a trinity of French
World Cup winners in Frank Leboeuf, Marcel Desailly
and Didier Deschamps.
Spurs fans worshipped David Ginola, while Arsenal’s
French contingent – Nicolas Anelka, Patrick Vieira and
Emmanuel Petit, as well as Wenger – was so strong that
when France beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup fi nal, the
front page of the Daily Mirror boasted, “Arsenal Win the
World Cup”. On the fringes were dozens of now-forgotten
French players, names like Laurent Charvet, Bernard
Lambourde and Rémi Garde.
With these French players came a more
professional approach to the game. Glenn
Hoddle, who played under Wenger at
Monaco, tried without success to impose
some of what he had learned on Chelsea in
1993, but Wenger had more joy in 1998,
winning the League and FA Cup double with
a transformed Arsenal.
“Wenger walked into a squad of great players and he
brought everything he learned,” says Adams. “He’s a
fantastic physiologist and psychologist, that’s where he
excels. He got me in the best condition I could possibly be
in to do my job, and for that I love him and have so much
respect for him.”
Adams had been part of a hard-drinking group of
English players at Arsenal, but gave up alcohol shortly
before Wenger arrived. With the infl ux of Frenchmen, the
drinking culture evaporated. Wenger has since said that
he had more trouble getting English players to give up
Footballing
kings:
Cantona,
Wenger and
Anelka
Des poids
lourds du foot :
Cantona,
Wenger et
Anelka
72 metropolitan
FIVE FRENCH
LONDONERS
CINQ FOOTEUX
FRENCHIES
LONDONIENS
1. Arsène Wenger
Cerebral French manager,
who has been in charge
of Arsenal since 1996,
importing his unique style.
Entraîneur français intello
à la tête d’Arsenal depuis
1996. Il a insuffl é un style
unique à l’équipe du nord
de Londres.
chocolate than he did booze. Attitudes changed as
London became more European. By the time Malouda
joined Chelsea in 2007, London had a French community
a third of the size of Lyon’s, the town he had come from.
He can even get his favourite regional cheese, he says,
from the French shops in South Kensington.
“I had friends in London so I knew what their lifestyles
were like, and what it was like for their families,” he
recalls. “That was my concern. I had three kids and I
needed to know how they would settle at school. I already
“Wenger is a fantastic
physiologist and
psychologist. He excels”
spoke English and for me that’s the best way to settle,
to learn about local habits.”
Malouda’s fourth child was born in London and the
others are now practically natives. “It’s their culture,” he
says proudly. “When it was William and Kate’s wedding
they were in front of the TV, drawing pictures of
princesses. Not very French, no! But it is their culture, they
grew up here and that makes this feel like home for me.”
This aspect of the London experience is one of the
things that Malouda relishes most. “There are
opportunities to meet people from all over – I feel really
2. Thierry Henry
Elegant, explosive striker
signed by Wenger in 1999.
He is Arsenal’s top scorer
of all time.
Attaquant élégant et
fulgurant signé par
Wenger en 1999. Meilleur
buteur de tous les temps
pour Arsenal.
3. Marcel Desailly
Outstanding defender who
spent six years at Chelsea
aft er winning the World
Cup in 1998.
Défenseur exceptionnel qui
a passé six ans à Chelsea
après la victoire en Coupe
du monde en 1998.