When I supported Manchester United, I hated Arsenal and their players. But I couldn’t deny their talents. It wasn’t until I moved on from that diehard relationship with the club—and the sport—that I started seeing players like Robert Pirès for what they truly were: geniuses.
Robert Pirès was born in Reims, France, on 29th October 1973 to a Portuguese father and Spanish mother. Because of this mix of European influences, he wasn’t able to speak French very well in his early years, instead speaking mainly Spanish and Portuguese. He also had multiple allegiances in football, supporting both Benfica (his father’ was a fan’s club) and Real Madrid. He left school at 15, started a two-year sports degree course in Reims and the rest is history.
The above video shows Super Bobby’s immense skill for Marseille, Arsenal, Villarreal, and even a brief clip from his time at Metz. Alas, he never ended up at Benfica or Real Madrid.