INTERVIEW

Controversially fired by Sion, the former Arsenal man is now in Denmark – next, he’s looking to emulate The Rock and become a star actor...

You left Sion last March after the club terminated the contracts of nine players, for refusing to take a pay cut. What happened?

That came out of the sad situation of the pandemic. We were still together in the dressing room and playing on the pitch while everyone else was at home, so we didn’t really know what was happening. One day, we received a message on WhatsApp saying there was no more training and we should all stay at home. Then we had another message telling us that we should all accept a salary reduction. I didn’t go to Sion for the money, so what they asked didn’t affect me. But some of the players wanted more explanation of what it meant. If they cut the salary now, do we get it back later? Nothing was really answered, so most of the players said no, and nine players were fired because of that.

You later took your case to court...

I said it was unacceptable, because in that situation everyone has a right to some answers. They asked us to do something without any explanation. I won my case against the president, because he was in the wrong with the way he did it. I expected him to come to me and explain the situation. We could have had a direct conversation, but he didn’t call me or speak. It was a secretary who sent the message and there were no exchanges. It was just a very strange situation.

After a brief spell with Neuchatel Xamax you joined your third club of 2020, the Danish side Nordsjaelland. What’s it been like there?

Really good. It’s a development club with a good culture and lots of young players. It’s like being at Arsenal again. I’m happy to be able to have such an experience at my age, 34.

It’s the fifth country you’ve played club football in since leaving Arsenal. How has it all gone?

I played at Arsenal for 10 years, then had five more years in Germany. When my contract at Hamburg ended, I had a great opportunity to sign a four-year contract with Montpellier, but it didn’t work out because I’d had some knee injuries in the past and they spotted something they didn’t like. I moved to Antalyaspor – they had Samuel Eto’o there and signed Samir Nasri, but then everything changed. The president quit and payments were more difficult to get. Because they weren’t paying me, I had the opportunity to leave for free. I played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, then moved to Italy with SPAL. But I had pain in my knee, and after six months I decided to find a solution to break the contract. I took a year off to focus on building my knee up again.

Did you enjoy playing under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal?

He was like a father figure. I went to Arsenal for a one-week trial at 15 and played a game with Robert Pires, Kolo Toure, Nwanwko Kanu and Dennis Bergkamp. At the end of the week, the boss came up to me and said, “I really want you to come in –I think you can do great things in England.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

What were the highlights of your time in north London?

I’d love to tell you the highlight was winning this title and that title, as we were so close. The Champions League game at home to Barcelona in 2011 was incredible, with the way we came back to beat them 2-1.

Was it annoying to keep missing out on trophies at Arsenal?

When you think of the quality that we had, of course it’s a frustration. A lot of people claimed “they’re not mentally strong enough” or “they’re not trying.” Everybody who steps onto the pitch is trying. What was missing was possibly experience, as we were a young team. The 2011 League Cup Final was one we should have won, though. We were up against Birmingham and, with respect, we lost it in a strange way. Maybe that triggers a loss of confidence.

You played in the crushing 8-2 defeat to Manchester United at the start of the following season. How difficult was that to take?

Very difficult. The stability of the team wasn’t at its best at that point – there were a lot of question marks over the futures of some players. We started off quite well, but collapsed.

You won 76 caps for Switzerland and played at three World Cups. Which moment stands out?

The 2014 World Cup was phenomenal – for me, Brazil is the land of football. Unfortunately we lost in the last 16, but we played a great game against Argentina, going toe-to-toe with Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain. Loads of Brazilian supporters inside the stadium were shouting “Ole! Ole! Ole!” when we had the ball. Even though we lost, the respect we had when we came back to Switzerland was unbelievable.

What do you plan to do after hanging up your boots?

I’m really interested in psychology and acting –I dream big. I dreamed about being a footballer and I did it. Being an actor is something I’d enjoy, and I’d love to achieve that if I possibly could. I love Denzel Washington and look up to The Rock, because of his pathway. He played some American football, then did wrestling. To be the actor he is today is amazing.

Sean Cole