When you are 14, 15, 16, you can train every day in France, and sometimes you can train twice a day. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
You train far more in France than in England. Here, we still see football as a game. Football is a job. There is still the mentality where training is at 11, you come in at 10:30, and when it is finished, you leave straight away. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
When I told Arsene Wenger I was leaving, he said to me, ‘I have £25m to spend on a few players.’ My answer was, ‘Obviously, Mr. Wenger, you are not shopping in Harrods. That will only buy you one good player.’ Now I have been proved right. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
I love London. I feel at ease there; I can push my trolley in the supermarket without being bothered. If I want to go to a club, a cinema, or have a walk, I am free – free to live my life as I wish. I have talked about it with some players, and I am convinced that we are in one of the best countries. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
I sincerely think that firing Roger Lemerre was the easiest solution. There had to be a guilty party, and it was him. He was the ideal prey. He had his share of responsibility like everybody else, like the French FA who organised friendly matches at the other end of the world, but the actors – the players – have the greatest share of it. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
In England, the respect for the ex-players is something that people take seriously. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
If you look at Arsenal today, I really enjoy watching them play – they play some really good football – but that is not enough to win football matches or to win competitions. But in our time, we were winning, and we had the strength to not play well but somehow manage to win the game 1-0. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
Arsene always gives freedom to his players. To have that freedom is good, but if you can give them the freedom and respect the tactical aspect of the game, it will be even better. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
It was complicated at Madrid. I was suspicious. The lack of recognition for Makelele over there scared me. I was scared it would happen to me. But I should have gone there. Today, I don’t regret the career that I have had, but if I could have changed one thing, it would be that: to go to Madrid. Patrick Vieira Read Quote
When, in 2005, there was an offer from Juventus, I was in the Bahamas. When I came back, Arsene said to me, ‘There is an offer from Juve. What do you want to do?’ I understood that he was saying, ‘If you want to leave, leave.’ Patrick Vieira Read Quote
