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Interview, November 2025
In an exclusive interview OLBG, France icon Frank Leboeuf has explained why Liverpool boss Arne Slot cannot drop Hugo Ekitike for Alexander Isak at Liverpool.
The former Chelsea defender has also explained why Chelsea are doing the right thing in their management of Estevao and spoke about the progress of Liam Rosenior.
Leboeuf has also named his four favourites to win the World Cup and left out Thomas Tuchel’s England, picking Spain, France, Portugal and Argentina.
What side of the argument do you fall on when it comes to Chelsea x Strasbourg?
Well, I'm happy. I'm happy with the way it works. I'm happy how Strasbourg can get results and for the second season, everything seems to be spot on.
Now, I wonder about the long term, what's going to happen to the club because every time, you have good players doing great for Strasbourg, they're going to go back to Chelsea or they're going to be sold to somebody else because we all know the business system that the Chelsea board is planning on doing.
And therefore, I don't feel the stability right now that I would love to see Strasbourg. But that's also the only way that the chairman, my former teammate Marc Keller, the chairman, has found to make sure that Strasbourg can resist to any financial issues. So it's fair.
It's good, fans are happy right now, the players are giving 100%, but what's gonna happen within like one, two, three years, I don't know. So I'm always keeping myself aware of what's going on.
Leboeuf: Chelsea’s Strasbourg partnership works now, but future is uncertain
Ligue 1 has been great so far this season - why do you think that is?
I’m pleased because I never expected to see this level from young players. I saw the game Paris Saint-Germain against Strasbourg. I mean, that was a hell of a game.
Paris thought they would have been an easy task, but Strasbourg resisted so well and played so well that it was a great game to watch.
Leboeuf hails Ligue 1 youth: 'That PSG vs Strasbourg match was electric'
What is your view of the France squad and its chances of winning the World Cup?
I talked to Roberto Martinez lately. We were at the Parc des Princes for the Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich and we talked.
I said that I see four teams capable of winning the World Cup. Argentina, of course, they're going to defend their title. France, Spain and Portugal.
What about England? No, for me the four contenders for the next World Cup are the four teams that I just mentioned.
Of course France, with all the talent that they have, especially at France, well, even at the middle, in the back as well, they possibly can win the World Cup.
Leboeuf: England not among my top 4 for the World Cup
World Cup Betting Odds
These are the current odds available at betting sites for the outright winners market for the World Cup
| Selection | Probability | Odds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 18.2% | 5.50 |
| 2 | England | 14.3% | 7.00 |
| 3 | France | 12.5% | 8.00 |
| 4 | Argentina | 11.1% | 9.00 |
| 5 | Brazil | 11.1% | 9.00 |
What would be your starting pairing at centre back?
We don't know what is the best pair in that national team because you have Ibrahima Konate, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and some others and they're all very talented.
Right now there is a lack of chemistry between any of them so that's something you have to find like at the time where Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly.
They were playing together and you could feel that they were working hard together and they were understanding each other so that's the thing that Didier Deschamps has to find before the World Cup starts and make sure that we can stabilize and be strong at the back.
Leboeuf: Deschamps must solve France's centre-back puzzle
Deschamps will be leaving after the World Cup and it seems a formality that Zidane will replace him. What do you think Zidane will bring to the position?
It will be a big change. It’s going to be a hard task for Zinedine Zidane because the level is high that Didier Deschamps has played, two World Cup finals, one win and a European Championship final as well and brought the national team to be one of the best in the world.
Since 98 we have played four World Cup finals and so Zidane can only do better than that to be accepted and that's going to be a big task. But we know the talent.
He showed it with Real Madrid and we know his love for football and the national team. So I want to believe that he's going to be the next after Deschamps and he's going to do very well because he's an icon, he's a real legend of football, of France.
If he can be successful, that would be a perfect match for me.
Leboeuf: Zidane can succeed Deschamps — but it’s a huge challenge
Does Ibrahima Konate look distracted at Liverpool?
It's been complicated. We cannot be blind and avoid seeing what everybody sees and it's obvious, but he’s not the only one guilty. I mean, the whole team has been poorer than last season.
We can start with Virgil van Dijk, with of course, Andy Robertson when he played, even if he's a little bit better than Milos Kerkez, it's complicated.
Even the young Conor Bradley is not as good as last season, we would have thought that the defensive aspect of covering Trent Alexander-Arnold would be resolved, but it's not.
Alexis Mac Allister was only a shadow of himself at the beginning of the season. He seems to be a little bit better, but we don't know yet. So Ibrahima is not the Ibrahima that we saw last season, especially, but the season before, he had some issues as well. So he had one good season.
I know that he has to renew his contract. I've talked to Steve Nicol because I work with him and he's a legend. I said if he's reasonable at his asking price, that should be done.
If he asks for too much, I think Liverpool should say no. But Ibrahima is a great player, he is a great lad, is dedicated to his club and he will give 100% to Liverpool.
But he has to work harder right now to make sure the goal that he conceded against Manchester City, the header, he has to get the ball. That's something he should be able to do.
I wasn't as good as him defensively, but I'm capable of seeing when he has to improve his game. Again, a great player, I think the club, the coach should trust him to get better because he will.
Again, what I like about players like that is you can see that they give 100%. They're not faking it.
Leboeuf: Konate struggling but deserves Liverpool’s trust
Should Hugo Ekitike be starting ahead of Alexander Isak when both are fit?
It’s going to be tricky because right now the only one who should play is Hugo Ekitike. Hugo should play every game because Alexander Isak didn't train for a while, was fighting against Newcastle in order to come to Liverpool, but right now Isak is not the Isak we have known from years playing for Newcastle.
But he put a lot of pressure on Hugo. Hugo started very well, scoring every game in the team which is a shadow of itself.
But right now, Hugo is doing great and Arne Slot should only play him. And it doesn't matter if the other guy costs 130 or 150 million. If he's not ready enough, you should play Hugo.
There is a possibility for Hugo also to play on the left side. It's also possible for Isak to do so. He has the choice of a king as we say in France, Arne Slot.
We have to talk about Mohamed Salah as well, he is not the Salah we have seen. So you have Salah, Cody Gakpo, Ekitike and Isak.
But what do you do with Florian Wirtz. So it's complicated but they've decided to go there. Personally, when I saw Ekitike starting with Liverpool I said well they don't need Isak.
I thought they should’ve given up and said no on the signing because it's going to create more problems than bring results.
Arne Slot needs to make choices and you have to make sure that the dressing room is okay with that and they live together in a good way with a good vibe – he will have to be psychologically very good.
Leboeuf: Ekitike deserves to start — forget the transfer fee
What do you think the ceiling is for Estevao at Chelsea? Could he win the Ballon d’Or in the future?
On the Ballon d'Or I don't care because that's not something that I'm very fond of because that's an individual award in a collective game so it doesn't really mean anything but it's what I should call it MVP and that's okay because people they pay tickets to see players like Estevao, that's for sure.
The guy is gifted like crazy. He sweats football. It's amazing. But you have to finish the building first. You have to be precise.
I think Enzo Maresca is right in a way that to protect him, don't put him in there because he's still a little bit too young. When he comes on, he makes a difference. So little by little, it's fine.
Right now we live in a world where everything has to be now, not tomorrow but now. So we have a star so we want to see it and we want to burn him and after he goes we get somebody else.
I mean when I talk about Gianfranco Zola, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo R9, it took a long time to make sure those players were ready and the media at the time were going slower in their definitions of who's a star or not.
Nowadays it works differently but I'm quite okay with what Enzo Maresca is doing with Estevao. As long as Estevao stays 10 years and gives us so many titles, fans will be happy, I'm happy too.
Leboeuf: Estevao is a star in the making — but must be protected
Can you see him scoring against Barcelona in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge?
Yeah, that would be nice. I remember I saw the Barcelona game against Paris Saint-Germain and everybody was going to see what Lamine Yamal is capable of doing.
And we saw one player, Nuno Mendes, and Nuno Mendes shining in that game and showed his power. And that is one of the best left-backs in the world. And that would be nice to see Estevao shining against Barcelona and showing to the world that, wow, that guy's different dimension. So that would be nice, but I'm not asking for anything.
I don't want to put him under any pressure. I know, I know he's capable of it. Now, he's still very young. What he's gonna do, I don't know, football is about always doing good things at the right time. It doesn't matter if you score 10 goals against teams that nobody saw or remember and the goals that you scored.
But if you score in the Champions League against Barcelona, everybody is gonna see it and talk about it.
Leboeuf: Champions League vs Barcelona would be Estevao’s breakout stage
Is the early injury to Levi Colwill costing Chelsea a run at the title?
That's an important miss with Colwill injury because he was stabilising the defence and he brought his experience and his talent and him being injured, Enzo Maresca had to rebuild the defence and he had some others getting injured.
For sure we are lacking Colwill. It could have been different, I think Chelsea are not doing too bad because we are still in the process. Don't forget like two years ago, that was a shambles. That was a real shambles.
Chelsea became the winner of the Club World Cup. I don't know if it means a lot. It means a lot to the fans, but I know in the world of football, that title right now doesn't mean anything because you cannot compare winning the Champions League and winning the Club World Cup because Liverpool, Arsenal and some other big teams were not there.
It was quite funny to see Arsenal and Liverpool not playing in the Club World Cup. So it doesn't mean anything. But the club is doing better than I would have thought.
They're getting results sooner than I thought. And Chelsea are third in the table right now and they're doing great.
Now they will have some big games with Barcelona in the Champions League, they will have Arsenal very soon as well. So we'll see. But again, it's getting better.
Don't forget about two years ago, that was a real mess. And now I'm happy with what I see. Players are getting better. Moises Caicedo is tremendous and some other players are getting there.
I'm happy with what Alejandro Garnacho is capable of doing. Let's see if it lasts a little bit longer than he did for Manchester United. Joao Pedro is coming back to his best, he scores goals again. Everything is working for the best.
Let's see with Reece James how they can handle the right side and everything. They are in the process of building something new and good in the future.
Leboeuf: Colwill injury was a blow — but Chelsea are ahead of where I expected
Do you fear that Chelsea could miss out on the knockout stages of the Champions League?
I'm confident. I know they can compete with any of them. Atalanta is not the Atalanta we have known like two years ago. The two other teams are going to be hard to beat but it's possible.
Let's see if Chelsea go to the playoffs. I'm pretty sure they can go through. It's a complicated way of seeing what's going to happen because I think big clubs go through or they're going to play the playoffs. So I'm not really concerned.
The talent is there. The possibility of surprising any other team is there. So let's say I'm confident.
Leboeuf: Confident Chelsea will progress in the Champions League
Champions League Betting Odds
Betting sites have the following current odds on the outright winners of the Champions League
| Selection | Probability | Odds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 18.2% | 5.50 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 18.2% | 5.50 |
| 3 | PSG | 14.3% | 7.00 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 12.5% | 8.00 |
| 5 | Man City | 12.5% | 8.00 |
Score prediction for Burnley vs Chelsea?
Let's say 3-1 to Chelsea.
Leboeuf predicts 3-1 Chelsea win over Burnley
Score prediction for Chelsea vs Barcelona?
Being positive. 2-1 to Chelsea.
I see Barcelona playing the high line and that's insane. I mean, I don't understand Hansi Flick and the way he plays. As a defender, I would refuse to play like that, put me on the bench, I don't want to look like a fool.
I saw the last goal they conceded during the weekend. And I say it's impossible to play that high line when the players don't even have sight. They're on their own, the opponent, they're on their own off of the pitch and they play the high line at the half of the pitch, that's insane.
With Alejandro Garnacho, with Pedro Neto, with Joao Pedro, they're fast. It's like Paris Saint-Germain, they kill them. Because you don't play it like that, it's impossible.
So it worked last season, because they were effective at front, and they were scoring more goals than they conceded, but this season they're fragile, so it's possible.
Leboeuf: Chelsea will beat Barcelona — Flick’s tactics are too risky
Will Arsenal break the record set by Chelsea in 2005 for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season?
To be frank, I don't wish them to beat the record, but it's possible. You have to give credit to Sunderland and the coach. They played, they pressed high, they did great. That was a very good game of football.
I didn't recognise Arsenal in the first half, and the Arsenal we have seen so far since the beginning of the season. It's possible for them because defensively they're very good.
I think Gabriel is the best defender in the world right now, but they're capable of doing that because they work very hard defensively, have a great goalkeeper as well, William Saliba is getting back to his best, so yeah, it's possible.
Leboeuf: Arsenal have the defence to break Chelsea’s record
Do you think Bukayo Saka is back to his best after some struggles with injuries recently?
Hopefully, yes. That guy is crazy good. I love the talent, I love the smile on his face when he does things and even when it doesn't work, I can see that he loves football and that's what I want to see in the face of a player when he plays.
The talent is there and Arsenal fans should be very happy to have a player like that. When other guys are on the pitch, he's the skipper of the team.
Everything goes well for Bukayo Saka and he shines with Arsenal. He's getting through maybe a tougher period but he's going to get back to his best I'm sure.
Leboeuf: Saka will bounce back — his passion never fades
In Leny Yoro, do you see the makings of a future icon in Manchester United’s defensive line?
Hopefully yes for him, but also for Manchester United. Matthijs de Ligt is also doing well this season and much better than last season. And Leny is showing his best and he's growing up. It's hard because the Manchester United concept is difficult to learn.
And right now Leny is doing what he has to do, making sure that he gets all the tackles he tries and headers he gets. I'm happy with his job. It's crazy the amount of good central defenders that we have in France, and Leny is part of them.
Leboeuf: Yoro has the tools to become Man Utd’s defensive leader
Despite some of the issues reported off the pitch, were Manchester United wrong to sell Alejandro Garnacho for £40m, particularly to a Premier League rival?
So far so good. Scoring goals the game before, assisting the last game, and everything goes well for him and I'm pleased with that. But allow me to wait for more consistency, and that's what I say most of the time when I talk about players and teams.
Right now we have a lack of consistency and we have the tendency to forgive everything because the guy has two good games. Okay, I want to see a season.
I want to see a second season, I want to see a third season and say, wow, the guy is a great player. Because I can say that for Declan Rice. Declan Rice played well for West Ham, then signed for Arsenal and had a very good season. And it was consistent.
For Caicedo he had a hard season, but last season, this season, now we have the Caicedo we want to see. But it's called consistency. And it's harder for forward lines players, but they have to find that. And we want to see that.
Garnacho has everything to become one of them, but allow me a little bit longer, much longer, to decide whether it's a success or not.
Leboeuf: Garnacho shows promise — but not ready to judge yet
Do you think Kylian Mbappe is starting to find his feet more at Real Madrid this season compared to last season?
When you talk about that, you have to keep in mind that you have Vinicius Junior on the left side, and you cannot put Vinicius Junior as a striker. Psychologically, Xabi Alonso has to make sure that everybody is happy and that it's not a mess in the dressing room.
So, I think it's better for Real Madrid that Mbappe plays as a striker and Vini on the left side because on top of it, you have Jude Bellingham, who likes to go forward.
And so it's complicated right now to put the best player in your first eleven for Xabi Alonso because you have Arda Guler as well, he's an amazing player.
And what about Rodrygo on the right side? It's complicated. Now I'm pleased with Kylian as a striker and there is a real Mbappe dependence right now for Real Madrid.
He ended up winning Pichichi last season, but I wasn't happy with his behaviour. I'm much more convinced that this season can be even a bigger season for him because he works hard, he's clinical and physically I think he's in very good shape.
Leboeuf: Mbappe is Real Madrid’s main man this season
Cristiano Ronaldo revealed to Piers Morgan that he thinks he is better than Lionel Messi. What’s your opinion on that debate?
Well, he challenged everybody during his whole life as a football player, so he will never change. He wanted to show that he's one of the best players in the world.
Because again, he's the best player in the world in his position, but he's a bad centre-back and a very bad goalkeeper, Cristiano Ronaldo, I'm pretty sure. Like Lionel Messi, he would be horrible in goal. But those two players changed football in the way that they challenge each other for the best top scorer, whatever it could be, and they reach the top of the top.
And Cristiano Ronaldo, at 40 years old, has totally the right to think he's one of the best in the world and he's better than Messi. And I'm sure Messi thinks the other way around. So it's not really important, but he feels good with that. I'm happy for him.
Leboeuf: Ronaldo vs Messi? Let them believe what they want — they earned it
Do you think it’s a shame we have never seen Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play together?
I saw Paris Saint-Germain play with Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe, it didn't work, did it? So, you know, it's already complicated to play with a big star in the team because you have to build the team around the star, which is normally the opposite.
You solidify your team, you pick up the best players, and then you put your star. And the star has to do its job. It worked with Cristiano Ronaldo, it worked with Messi.
But when you have all the stars in the same team, it's complicated for the others. And we saw with Paris Saint-Germain that the team was cut into three guys and the rest of the team. And that's impossible to play like.
Leboeuf: Messi & Ronaldo in same team might not have worked
Could you ever see Ousmane Dembele in the Premier League? If so, which club would suit him the best right now?
I don't see it coming. He went to Germany to become the player that he is now, then La Liga in Spain, and now he's in Paris. He's a guy from there. He's happy there, and he got the Ballon d'Or because of Paris Saint-Germain.
Paris Saint-Germain showed that he's now a symbol and that it's one of the best clubs in the world with a very good structure. I don't see him going anywhere else.
Where? Because where in England? Maybe Arsenal? But I think you have Bukayo Saka at Arsenal, so you don't need him. Chelsea has too many players already. I'm not sure if he would be convinced to go there. Liverpool?
Manchester City is getting a little bit better, but he's not there yet. No, I don't know why Dembele would move next year to any Premier League team.
I'm happy for him because he worked hard. He understood the job of a football player. It was just a game for him before, but he grew up and he deserves everything that he got last season.
Leboeuf: No reason for Dembele to leave PSG for the Premier League
Frank Lampard is flying with Coventry City, have stranger things happened in football than a potential third spell as Chelsea boss?
Well, you know, there is one guy already there, called Enzo Maresca. I'm not always okay with what he says and his way of thinking about football, but he's doing good, so we have to respect him. I'm very happy for Frank.
The two times that he went to Chelsea haven't been a success, and maybe it was too soon. I think he's growing up. I'm happy for what he's doing right now and for Coventry.
I thought there was a crap stadium, but the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic there.
Now, if he's going to go back to the Premier League, I think it would be for me showing some humility for him to stay at Coventry, work hard, and show the world that he deserves credit, and he needs to build his legend.
Show what you’ve done and then think okay, I can go to a bigger club.
Leboeuf: Lampard must prove himself before third Chelsea spell
Is it a matter of time before Liam Rosenior is managing in the Premier League?
No doubt, no doubt, because he has all the tools to become one of the best coaches in the world. It's funny because that guy looks like an intellectual and he doesn't look like a coach.
When he talks, he's like a philosopher, he's like a teacher, and I love his calm and his way of thinking about football.
He's going to be a great coach for sure with what he does with the kids. And every area has to rebuild the team because there are many changes. He's doing great. I'm very, very surprised first, and happy for him now.
Leboeuf: Liam Rosenior is destined for Premier League management
Could you see Liam Rosenior as a potential Chelsea manager of the future given their connection with Strasbourg?
Yes, for sure. I mean, it would be stupid to go to the game and see that the players are good, but not consider why the players are good. Maybe the coach is very good.
So, if something bad is going on with Enzo Maresca, and I don't wish him that, but there is an option (in Liam Rosenior), yes, for sure. But I'm happy he's staying at Strasbourg right now. So, leave him there.
Leboeuf: Rosenior could be Chelsea boss — if timing is right
Do you think England are contenders to win the World Cup?
I'm really fond of Thomas Tuchel. However, I believe a big footballing country like England doesn't need a German coach to win the World Cup. It would have been difficult for me to accept, purely from a cultural perspective.
Similarly, I wouldn't be happy to see an English coach for the French national team. We had one once, or maybe a Romanian coach, in the '60s. I think big football nations should have a coach from their own country.
When Thomas Tuchel was nominated, I said I wasn't happy with it. With all due respect to Thomas Tuchel and the English Federation, if he can win the World Cup, good for them.
But for me, there's always something going wrong with the English national team at a certain time. That's why I'd say, ‘wait and see.’ It's why I rank Portugal, Spain, Argentina, and France ahead of England.
However, you can't deny the talent is there, and if they can find the chemistry, it's going to work. The biggest issue any national team coach of England faces is that in the past, especially in my playing days, clubs were more important than the national team.
It was hard to find chemistry because players hated each other week in, week out. Now, it's getting a little better; it seems they appreciate each other and are ready to work together. So, it's possible. But I don't see England at the same level as the others right now.
Leboeuf: England not World Cup favourites — chemistry still missing
Who are your dark horses to go far at the World Cup?
Not really, not really, because I don't think Brazil, for example, can be called an underdog. But I don't see them, you know, surprising me and being better than the other teams.
I think it's quite complicated. Even if we have good players, you never know, but they would be a surprise, but I don't want to call them an underdog. I mean, you cannot call Brazil an underdog in a World Cup. It's impossible. Otherwise, Germany, I don't think so.
I would put England. But again, you cannot talk about England and say that's an underdog. No, they can be a favourite or not, but they're not underdogs.
Maybe that would be nice to see an African country surprising everybody because it's possible. The talents are there too, like Ivory Coast, Senegal and teams like that.
They can surprise people, that's for sure. They have all the players that they need and they have the culture to go for it and the knowledge for that. So yeah, an African country, maybe.
Leboeuf: Africa could spring the World Cup surprise
How far do you think South Africa will go in their return to the World Cup since hosting the competition in 2010?
I wish them the best. I remember the 2010 World Cup, I was there working for French broadcast and that was very interesting. We went beyond the football and that's absolutely fantastic. I want to say I'm very fond of African football and I follow it.
And South Africa is always particular, so I wish them the best. That's the only thing I can say. I don't think they're going to win the World Cup. I can even bet on that, but I wish them to go far.
Leboeuf: South Africa unlikely winners, but I’m cheering for them
Would you have liked to have ever played for Celtic or Rangers?
I work with Steve Nicol who played in the Scottish team, I work also with Craig Burley, who played for Celtic.
I always loved this rivalry, and I asked Craig, I think it was last week, when was the last time Celtic or Rangers didn't win the title? And I think we go back to '84, something like that.
So it says a lot about the power of the two teams in Scottish football, and I would love to see them a little bit better in the Champions League. That would be great. But yeah, I want to go to any of those teams to see the derby because the craziness of the atmosphere and everything is fantastic.
It's like River vs Boca. You want to go to Argentina to see that. Yet, you also want to see Rangers vs Celtic or Celtic vs Rangers because that's part of the legend of football.
You want to see that, you want to acknowledge that. And I'm not watching any Scottish football, but so are Steve Nicol and Craig Burley, and he's Scottish, and I think they don't watch it because, unfortunately, it's not big enough.
Leboeuf: Celtic vs Rangers is on my football bucket list
What have you made of Steven Nzonzi at Stoke? Do you think he can help guide the club back to the Premier League?
It's fantastic and it's refreshing. He says a lot about the mentality of that player. He says that he loves football overall. It's not only about money, it's not only about fame, it's about what you can find. And doing that shows a lot about his mentality, and I love it. I love it. I also left Chelsea to go back to Marseille for four times less in my account every month.
I did it because I was born in Marseille and I had the possibility to be captain of Marseille. I was sad to leave Chelsea, but I knew that I wouldn't play because John Terry was there pushing me away, and that was only fair. I was already 33 and I said maybe it's time for me to let it go and go back to Marseille.
Sometimes I regret it because I say, 'You know what, it would have been nice to finish at Chelsea,' blah, blah. But being on the bench, that was not my life. I'm a football player. I wanted to play.
To play for Marseille was something that made me proud of my career. And I understand that Steven is willing to go back to Stoke and giving his best and scoring goals and becoming a legend of Stoke.
Leboeuf: Nzonzi’s mentality shows true love for football
Which club would you consider managing if you decided to become a manager?
Simple question, Chelsea.
Who is the best player in the world right now?
I don't know because I can't compare a goalkeeper with a striker, it doesn't mean anything. But let's say Vitinha, Paris Saint-Germain.
How much would a prime Frank Leboeuf cost in today's game?
A fortune. I don't know how much but a fortune.
Who in today's game reminds you of your own playing style?
I was thinking about that, I don't know anybody like that because football has changed so much, it's very hard. I like Mickey van de Ven, but I think he's more powerful than me, he's more skillful and he's a better defender.
Who was the best leader you played with?
I would say Dennis Wise. A real fighter.
Do you think today's players are too soft?
Football is too soft, so they have to cope with the situation. If they were allowed to do what we used to be allowed to, they would be like us, but yeah, they're getting soft and the football is getting softer.
Who is one player you never wanted to play against again?
Alan Shearer. I fixed my nose. I'm good with it, so leave me alone.
Who was the most underrated player you played with?
Gianfranco Zola, of course not in England because he played for Chelsea, but when I talked about him in France, he's not very known.
I think that guy was at the level of Maradona, Zidane and some other players. So yeah, I would say it's Gianfranco Zola.
Who was one player you wish you played with?
I had the chance to play with all of them. Ruud Gullit. I played a little bit with him, but that was at the end of his career. I would have loved to play just behind him.
As in the toughest, who was the hardest teammate you've ever had?
Mark Hughes, 100%. Mark Hughes, the guy was a monster, fantastic player, fantastic team-mate, very smart guy, but on the field, a warrior.
Who was the hardest player you ever played against?
We go back to Alan Shearer. He broke my nose twice. He was the captain of England. He was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Yeah, Alan Shearer.
Who was the biggest joker in the dressing room you were in?
For those who know him, Christophe Dugarry was and is still the biggest joker.
Who is the most stylish teammate you ever had?
Roberto Di Matteo was always perfect. Italian style, a gentleman, a great man with a lot of style.
Who had the worst fashion sense?
I go back to Christophe Dugarry. The guy had long hair, he didn't care, the clothes didn't matter and now he lost his hair, he still doesn't care.
