Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Big Interview: Manuel Almunia


Five years ago last month Manuel Almunia arrived at Arsenal from the backwaters of Spanish football with a sense of shock and awe. He had just spent another season on loan from Celta Vigo, his third in a row with a different club, and helped Albacete Balompié avoid relegation. Arsenal, meanwhile, had just won the Premier League and become the first club in 115 years of English football to remain undefeated in an entire top-flight league campaign.

"I was 27 but I was very shy because everybody at Arsenal was a big star in world football," Almunia grins ruefully. "Bergkamp. Vieira. Henry. Ljungberg. Pires. Cole. Campbell. I signed just when they'd become the Invincibles. I couldn't believe it."


Oh, dear...

3 comments:

Bobbie BS said...

That photo can't possibly be real, can it? I'd love to see them swap outfits.

Bobbie BS said...

"I always look at my mistakes. My wife tells me this is also a mistake – because I want to be perfect."
- obviously this doesn't include looking in the mirror.

The Editor said...

Bobbie -- this outfit is perfect. That's the beauty of it. Without the dog it would be excellent. With the dog the outfit is perfect...