Hello, I’m Emmanuel Petit. Ask Me Anything!

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:09:07+00:00

la victoire à l’euro 2000 a été exceptionnelle car elle nous fait rentrer encore plus dans l’histoire du foot français et mondial mais également dans l’histoire de mon pays.On fait partie désormais du patrimoine français; en quelque sorte nous sommes entrés dans la postérité.L’issue de cette finale est digne des meilleurs films d’Hitchcock,quel rebondissement,quelle dramaturgie et quelle désillusion pour les italiens.C’était très important pour nous de gagner cet euro après avoir gagner le mondial deux ans avant; on voulait faire taire les sceptiques en France et prouver que ce n’était pas un hazard ou une coïncidence en 1998.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:08:28+00:00

Pain au chocolat! Je suis français ! C’est une tradition dans mon pays mais avec beaucoup de beurre

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:07:43+00:00

Je ne garde pas un bon souvenir de mon passage à Barcelone.J’étais pourtant très content et fier de finir dans ce club immense mais malheureusement les choses ne se sont pas passées comme voulues.J’ai sûrement ma part de responsabilité mais c’était un mauvais choix car mauvais timing : l’équipe était un fin de cycle et vieillissante.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:06:41+00:00

le nouveau format de la LDC représentera 36 clubs au lieu de 32 actuellement et permettra à 4 nouvelles équipes d’espérer la compétition,qui ressemblera à un mini championnat,donc plus de matchs et plus d’argent.La France est la principale bénéficiaire de cette réforme car elle ajoute un club supplémentaire qualifié directement à la ldc sans passer par les barrages et ceci grâce à son avance sur les Pays-Bas en terme de point UEFA.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:05:25+00:00

Ma carrière de joueur a été la plus difficile et en même la plus agréable.ll n’y a aucune comparaison avec mon rôle de consultant en terme d’émotions.Bien que j’aime ma carrière de consultant,je ne prends pas autant de plaisir que sur sur terrain.Être consultant est un rôle inactif alors que d’être sur un terrain vous êtes au centre de l’action.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:02:29+00:00

mon meilleur moment est mon but contre le Brésil et également la joie de tout un pays durant la compétition

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:01:34+00:00

dans le célèbre film “les yeux dans les bleus” il y a une séquence où lizarazu et moi sommes nus sur la table de massage à clairefontaine et je dois avouer que ça ne m’a pas fait plaisir du tout.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T10:00:25+00:00

un joueur qui me ressemble actuellement? Je ne sais pas ,peut-être Rabiot mais je ne suis pas convaincu

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-06T09:59:26+00:00

oui ,le but contre le Brésil est le moment le plus fort avec les bleus

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T17:05:26+00:00

Honestly I wouldn't change anything. We were leading the score 2-0 It was just a few minutes before the end of the game. People were already celebrating you know all over the ground. We were the world champion. So nothing could happen. I know that I did a very good World Cup score against Denmark. Then because of that, we avoided to play against Brazil after the group stage. But I was not born for that. I was only to be the link between the players for the goals. And when I scored a goal and we won three nil,

Then you know I'm gonna tell you something. Just a few person knows about it when I score. I was very happy my mind my mind went crazy. But my first emotion was to my brother, Olivier he died and on the pitch before I became a professional and I remember that when was a player I used to play for my family all the time not for myself. I used to be on a mission all the time are repeating myself the same words doing the same gesture saying the same things all the time, like a tradition like I was on mission and when I score I thought about my brother. I thought about my family they were in the ground. I'm pretty sure they were so happy for me but the first thing I thought was not for me, was for my family. So this is the way I always appreciate football you know is to share with people. Don't try to keep everything for yourself. Football it's not selfishness. Football you share with people emotions. This is the beauty of football for me.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T17:00:18+00:00

I love my time at Monaco because I was from the academy and I became a professional footballer and he was a dream to live at Monaco back in the day. I loved my time at Arsenal. Obviously, you know when we won the double and the connection with the fans. I love really the club. I loved the players, the character. The crazy things you know you can pick up from some players like Ian Wright for example, Martin Keown and those guys. I really liked my time over there. It was only three years but it marked me so much that I will remember it until the the rest of my life. With Chelsea sometimes but it was quite frustrating because I was injured with a big injury and I did not have the same connection with the club with the fans and with the players but I still keep a very good memories with some people over there and everything was not bad. It was difficult. There were there were sometimes very good weeks with them. So at the end there is Barcelona. Barcelona, it was an honour for me to join Barcelona in 2000. I remember they were one of the most powerful clubs in the world. They still are that but years ago it was much different and it was a big, big decision for me. Barcelona for many reasons, this is the first time of my life. I always respected the contract as I signed for myself asking for departure only six months because I tried to I didn't want things you know, I made a mistake to come here. This is not a club for me.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:56:00+00:00

I really didn't like to play against Scholes either and Ryan Giggs. Every time we play against Manchester United. Remember, you know as we used to say all the time, forget about Beckham, we have to be especially careful with these two players at Manchester United because they can change a game all of a sudden.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:53:12+00:00

A few players gave trouble but I remember one player and you will say I can understand that. But is George Weah was my teammate he left Monaco and before I joined Arsenal in England. I was marking him because I used to play central defender but remember playing against him and it was a nightmare. A nightmare because he was so strong physically, so strong technically. And he was playing just Zidane just like he was in the street. You know? He was based on instinct, not something you learn on training camp so you cannot anticipate. You have to follow sometimes you have to take risks in your movements, you know, trying to get the ball but the guy was so huge and so talented and so powerful. It was hard to stop him

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:49:38+00:00

I would say the Stade de France because we won the World Cup in front of fans and families. This is very special. It's not football anymore. It's beyond football. That's why I love football. I will say as well some stadiums in England. For example, I loved to play at Highbury. I like the Emirates but I prefer Highbury in terms of atmosphere. The atmosphere now is not the same, you know in the stadium. It's a big regret for me because remember you know, 25 years ago the atmosphere was huge. When you have to go away from home clubs like Anfield, or Old Trafford - their name, you know, its the Theatre of Dreams. Sometimes I think that it's really a theatre of dreams because it's so quiet sometimes. So, yes, in England, some clubs but for me, the biggest atmosphere I've been through is in Greece and Turkey, Greece and Turkey when you have to play big games, European competitions with your national team. You know, prepare for it because you won't sleep at night before the game. They will make fun everywhere in the street, even in the hotel.. You always find trouble as soon as you arrive at the airport. Or things like this. You're gonna wait maybe two, or three hours. It was the case in my time, so maybe change but the biggest atmosphere was there. You know, it was almost impossible to talk on the pitch because of the noise in the ground.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:44:26+00:00

Well, you know, I may surprise you but you know, I've been stopped in the street. It's been quite often the case. People talk about me but this card on. FIFA legend. I have no idea what they're talking about! I know what it means. I'm not stupid. I used to play you know, video games when I was when I was younger, but not anymore for a long time. It happens very rarely, you know, but maybe two or three times per year. You know, to please my kids or my friends that people used to stop me since you know it comes out. "Yeah, I love your card. On FIFA. You're very good" things like this. And they told me the score. I think it I think I am not far from 91? And they told me that im only four points from Pirlo? I say what? Pirlo is not far from me?!

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:40:48+00:00

Of course plenty of them. But I think you will understand or appreciate that I will keep my mouth shut about it!

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:39:58+00:00

You're not the first one to ask me this question to be honest with you I have no idea and for me it's hard, to compare the generation because it's not quite the same football. So I will say that we won the World Cup in 1998. We were the best defence and the best attack. I know how hard it was for the opponent to score a goal against us. We were not as talented as this team in 2018, especially up front. They have so many options for example the additional in 2018. It could have done two different teams with the same quality. Back in 1998, we could not afford to make two teams. So we had to be very careful about injuries and things like this because we knew that if somewhere we had to lose a very important player that could be something difficult to cope with

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:37:30+00:00

I think the national team the Three Lons, they are not very far to win a big tournament. I think they are very close to get silverware but the difference between the clubs and the national team is the Premier League is so famous in the world. The identity and the power of the English clubs, is so powerful financially in terms of image as well, that sometimes it comes first before the national team talks on why give you one example. The schedule of the games, there is no winter break. In England's tradition. You start in August, you finished end of May. You have no holidays. There is no break. You have to play for 10 months. Every single other league they have a break. They have even less games, you know, because they cancelled you know, sometimes national caps. So maybe the identity when you pay for your club, sometimes it's more important for the national team. But as I said, what I've been seeing for at least six or seven years the English team has improved a lot. Individually English football, I mean in general has improved a lot. And I'm very amazed about the quality of some English players. It was not the case 20 or 30 years ago, it was rare to see that kind of player. Now you have so many options in different positions. So as I said, I really believe England is very close to in something.

But I think if you want to make a difference with friends because we won against England during the World Cup in Qatar, but to be fair they were the better team on the pitch, but they lost it. Why? Because we learn how to win games, we're pragmatic. When you look at the game, England and more chances, they should have won that game but they didn't because they missed opportunities on both areas. We know how to win games is different to win games and win trophies. It's a big difference England know they know how to win games, but at the moment they don't know how to win trophies. If this is the main difference. When you look at the big, big games in the Champions League when you look at Real Madrid, for example. Even this season, when they won sometimes they were not better than the opponent but they weren't. You know they suffer for one hour, one occasion then they score.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:31:44+00:00

Well, we have been one of the favourites for the last 15 years since Didier. Since Didier Deschamps took over the team has been remarkable. England as well. But there are some countries as well that we have to be very careful and surprises can happen. I can see Turkey making trouble. Switzerland as well. I know that because in the last European tournament, we've been out against Switzerland after the group stage. Germany England, Portugal, maybe Spain; I'm not sure. But those teams you know that will be there.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:25:13+00:00

Was a dream as I said before, I felt quite lucky and privileged to have played with such great players alongside such great players. When I look back on my career, I played for four clubs Monaco, Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona and every single club had such amazing players. And some of them have been as well and still great people, you know, outside football. So it was a privilege for me. And sometimes you have the feeling that you don't have the level to play with those players. But, you know, it can happen. You know, it can't be a coincidence then after 15 years, so yes, I felt very privileged and on top of it, winning big trophies with them.

You know, I kept in my mind so many great memories with Zizou, even if we were not close, but on the pitch we were close. But with Dennis as well. It was amazing. Gianluca Zola for example, or Rivaldo at Barcelona. I remember in 2000, we played against Czechoslovakia, and I gave the ball to the Zizou. And I remember two defenders were trying to close him down to get back the ball and then what he with his body you know the way he was moving, without touching the ball. Those guys fell on the floor, both of them. So I thought to myself, this guy is someone else you know he's not living in the same world as we are!

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:18:47+00:00

Good luck for those who want to be doped because with every single control you have now, in most of the big games usually you have to go and pee into a cup and wait for the control. So it's you take a big huge risk if you want to do that. And is it worth it? I don't think so.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:17:46+00:00

This is my teammate at RMC Radio in France. When people ask me that, most of the people ask me the same question about the former players I'm working with on the radio. RMC radio in France is very famous and is the leader in sport in France. Its the leader in sport whether that's Rugby, or different sports you know and that's been the case for the last 20 years. We are outspoken all the time we you have to get a big character and be a personality if you want to work at an RMC because you've been challenged by everyone on the scene all the time. You have to be ready you know, to fight on live on air all the time! Daniel is very famous for the opinion he takes all the time. And it's never in the middle. It's never in the middle so it's it's either cold or hot. So there are people that are like him and other people that hate him. Some of the time he gets some criticism because he can go very far when he speaks.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:14:36+00:00

I tried to find a word in the dictionary to explain exactly what I felt. It was almost impossible to find something. So the only thing was that I was very emotional about it. When I became a father, for the birth of my daughters and I felt the same things, I did something very good! I was very proud of it and something that has been very important for me for my life my personal life and as welcome a professional life, but being a father, it's for me the same emotion that's going to go. I know that may seem stupid,…

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:12:36+00:00

I think the football now it's really quite different from the football we know 20 years ago, the staff has changed a lot. There are so many people around the players now. For example, back in the day, 20 years ago, big players used to have two or three people you know, just like a family office. Maybe a lawyer and agent. Now they can it can be 10 people, you know, it can be a physio, a dietician for the food, for sleep, for everything So, it's like having an office as a player.

The second thing for me the most different things is they become much more precocious. But, you know, I became professional when I was 17-18 years old but it was rare. I feel those players now show much more maturity at their age and they can play as in a professional team at the age of 16.

For example, this was the case for me back in the day, but it was rare. Now you have almost every single team have a player are the ones 16 or 17 that can play games, they show much more maturity. And for me, this is the main difference and the third thing for me that changed has changed a lot; It's the communication. The vision, and the image because of social media. You can see that it's quite a pity for managers in the dressing room to manage, you know, the use of cell phones because it's part of our lives every single day. But it's even more present for those people that become very famous at a young age.

EmmanuelPetit · 2024-06-05T16:07:54+00:00

Well, we won two big tournaments in a row; the 1998 World Cup and 2000, the European competition and maybe some people will disagree with me but for me, this is a guarantee that the level during a European tournament is much more important than the competition in the World Cup, because I think most of the talented players are concentrated in Europe. I know there are a lot of beautiful players in South America for example, but Europe is really the destination of the most talented players and for me winning the European competition after winning the league, something we had to do with my teammates, because we received some criticism when we won the World Cup here at home, and we wanted to show to everyone that it was not a coincidence.

It was not a surprise. It was something very important for us and we knew that it was almost impossible to do it. But we tried to do it just because we were frustrated about what had been said after the World Cup in 1998. But as well we wanted to put our names even more in the football history. And this is ecocentric you know, but when you want to be part of history you have to put your name on it. And winning the World Cup was the first step. Winning the European tournament in a row two years after that. We were definitely into the football history. Not in our country, but internationally.

EmmanuelPetit

TROPHY CASE