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Arsenal Invincibles Star Lauren | Riccardo Calafiori, Cesc Fabregas The Coach, Almost Joining AS Roma (Ep. 464)
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Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey interview Arsenal invincibles and Cameroon legend Lauren who won the Olympics and the AFCON twice.
Lauren recalls his memories of losing to Lazio in the 1999 Cup Winners Cup final when playing for Mallorca.
Lauren also discusses other topics such as how Hector Cuper was as a coach, how great Cesc Fabregas is a character, an offer to join Roma instead of Arsenal, new Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori and much more.
Lauren was speaking on behalf of NewBettingSites.UK
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Lauren
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese joined, as always, by Nima Tavale. On today's show, we are delighted to be joined by former Arsenal and Cameroon star Lauren, who was a key part of Arsene Wenger's legendary Arsenal Invincibles team of 2004. He also previously played for Mallorca in Spain.
00:00:32
Speaker
ah So, Lauren, thank you so much for joining us. Let's get straight
1999 Cup Winners Cup Final Recollections
00:00:37
Speaker
into it. So, um at Mallorca, you played against Lazio in the 1999 Cup Winners Cup Final and Lazio won that game 2-1. Your direct opponent was Pavel Nedved. What can you tell us about your memories from that game and and and and playing against him?
00:00:54
Speaker
First of all, it wasn't my direct opponent because I was playing as a write right wing, so nothing to do with power net. But I'll get into your question about the final. I think it was one of the best final I ever played. the ah play many fans but I but that was one of the best ones because, i you know, it was a Mallorca small team. It was in the greatest team in Spain, but the fact that we had a solid squad, we had a great man here with Andereto Cooper, ah we managed to beat Barcelona and then we managed to get to that final, and I think, was
00:01:28
Speaker
we lose the game and that final I remember that one action was the one I had a chance I hit it close to the top corner and it was saved by Marcellini and then the next action it was probably never the one this close so I mean it was great for one side but in the other side I feel that I got that final on my boots but this is football I will learn from that
Hector Cooper's Influence and Mallorca
00:01:54
Speaker
Absolutely. You were coached by Hector Cooper um at Mallorca and he was, of course, infamous at Inter, my team, because he had a horrible relationship with Ronaldo. But what was Cooper like as a coach and a person? Was he difficult to work with?
00:02:12
Speaker
Well, it was ah it was it was a hat man, but we all have to feel always grateful with manager that can add you something into you. And I was my first year in the top level.
00:02:28
Speaker
With my old connector keeper, I think it was one of the key managers in our development. Me, Danny, Tristan, Luque, all those players and the that developed the talent.
00:02:45
Speaker
And we have to be grateful in that in that sense of more defending, because as a Mallorca, it's not a big team. It wasn't a big team. So the fact that we were playing in the low block, lost all the gap and get and um transition going forward. So we learned a lot and more on the defensive point of view, rather than offensive. Because the offensive, when you're playing a big team, you have to play more positional. The laughter, pressing high up. So those things, you do it with Arsenal. and And yeah, so, but we we were,
00:03:17
Speaker
um and Director Cooper, we were developed in that sense, and we have to be very grateful because he was a top manager.
Transfer to Arsenal and Capello's Roma
00:03:28
Speaker
And in 2000, you joined Arsenal. Is it true that before you joined joined Arsenal, you were close to joining Fabio Capello's Roma?
00:03:38
Speaker
I think in my time it was the Red Seaman. It was the man I had around that time. It was the Red Seaman, the one that it was. Yeah, it was. Yeah, I. I was close to signing my third year at Soroma. We just reached an agreement between the support director ah me and me. Matteo Alemani was the support director at that time at Mallorca. So we decided, we set an agreement in the way that, stay one more year, please. We improve your contract. And I'm guaranteed to you that next year, we will find a solution. So I always believe, I always negotiate my own contract. I always believe
00:04:18
Speaker
in the world of a sport director. In this case, Mathieu Alemani was top sport director. And yeah, we see that agreement. And then next year, I was sold to Arsenal.
00:04:34
Speaker
You were sold to Arsenal and the the rest is
Cesc Fabregas' Coaching Potential
00:04:36
Speaker
history. they were At Arsenal, you played with a young chess fabrica fabric ass. Fabric ass is now coaching Cormor in Serie A and he's doing really, really well. Many people are impressed with him. what do you What do you make of what he's doing as a coach and could he maybe be a ah future Arsenal manager maybe be one day?
00:04:53
Speaker
He is an amazing, he's an amazing lad. You have to know that with just 15 years he had that kind of personality in order to be able to challenge Patrick Vieira, Ray Parle in the middle.
00:05:09
Speaker
ah hiberodo And it had that that kind of personality without no scale. You have to replace Patrick Vera. You have to replace top player Dami Oda Parr. He did it well and he did it in style. And ah something I always say to the youngsters that Fabrega has something that he wanted to improve.
00:05:30
Speaker
He got the talent, but he wanted to improve every single day. He was the first in the gym, he was the first on training. He was one of the best in the training session. He was that personality. So the father is aligned, his personality with what he's doing as a coach. So, I mean, I had no doubt that one day we'll be a top manager.
Riccardo Calafiori's Versatility
00:05:55
Speaker
Speaking of Arsenal, they signed Riccardo Calafiori this last summer. um How much of a special talent do you think he is? He is a talented player. I mean, a the good thing for Arteta is that he can play him in different positions. He can play as a left back or play as a central back. We saw him, when he was at Florentina, playing sometimes At Bologna, sometimes in the middle of the pass, I hold a midfielder in front of the back four. So the father, he has so many choices, so many ways that can be useful for Teta. I mean, it's, you know, love the father, it's been for us, it's a top player.
00:06:42
Speaker
Well, so you do mention that he can play in many positions. Well, you know, his, some would say his best role is center back, but what position would you play him in? I mean, cause you can't really break up Gabriel and Saliba partnership, can you? Well, this is a question that you have to ask to, to Arteta. I just believe that it's a, it's a top player and I stick with that. Whether if you're going to play as a central bar or left bar or his best position is Arteta is the one that's going to decide it.
00:07:13
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And he might play there now after Saliba got red cards at
Arsenal's Need for a Traditional Striker
00:07:17
Speaker
the weekend. And after the success of Califiori and Giorgino at Arsenal, are there any other Italian or Serie A players that you would like, that you would like maybe Arsenal to try and sign? Well, again, this is a question that Arteta and Edu will be keen to answer. Well, I believe that the more tough players that we had in the squad,
00:07:42
Speaker
is better in order to ah achieve our goal by the end of the season. Do you have a favourite Italian player or a Serie A player? Is anyone playing in Serie A that you really you love as a player? Well, I love big players and the more big players that we have at Arsenal, it will be easy to challenge Champions League, FA Cup, the Premier League, all the competition that we are playing for.
00:08:12
Speaker
Okay. and Do you think, you might say Arteta has to answer this, but do you think that Arsenal should sign try and sign a number nine? It's been a big question for a while that they need a natural number nine. They try to sign Sesco in the summer. Do you think that they should try and sign someone more proper number nine like a Sesco? Well, when I always said that we need a player, a nominee that can help,
00:08:40
Speaker
Gabriel Jesus that can help, Kai Haber that can help, Martina that can help, Bukayo Saka in the lather. I mean, this is ah something that Anand, Anand Manai will be It will be great personally because we will have and another also different version in order to attack the opponent because fair we see many times that you play against a dominant side like Man City. You have to defend sometimes or many times during the game.
00:09:13
Speaker
in the low block so ah you need to go good transition going forward so you have on the left Martinelli is able to do that but if you have another number nine that can hold the ball and allow the team to come out from the back it will be fantastic so therefore I'm saying that we will need maybe another number nine different than the ones that we have now in the squad in order to help them to achieve our goal by the end of the season.
Best Teammate: Samuel Eto'o
00:09:41
Speaker
um Just a few quick, quiet questions just to finish off. um I'll give you like, if you just want to give us a one word answer, and if you want to expand on it, you can. So who's your best ever teammate that you've played with?
00:09:57
Speaker
Well, despite the fact that I've been playing with some great top players in my generation, talking from Tristan, Tylen Rhi, Darius Belkan, Patrick Vieira,
00:10:09
Speaker
I can choose all of them. But I'm going to go for my fellow mates, Samuel Eton, because we were cheering rooms in the African Cup Foundation. We were cheering rooms in the Olympics. We were cheering rooms in the World Cup. So the father, we had that kind of connection between us since the World Cup back in 1990 in France.
00:10:34
Speaker
So, I mean, we had a fantastic relationship. So therefore I choose, he's a top player as well. And I choose Samuel Eto, with all the respect from the others. Okay, fair enough. Who's your toughest opponent?
Toughest Opponent: Ryan Giggs
00:10:48
Speaker
Which player, direct opponent, you played against that you hated playing or you appreciated the most before? He's an amazing player.
00:10:56
Speaker
In my opinion, I challenged many of them during my Arsenal. I always say Ryan Giggs, because Ryan Giggs was an extraordinary player. I mean, above everyone else, in my opinion, on on my side. Above Robin, above Ian Daft, above Cristiano Ronaldo, above anyone. I mean, it was... ah He was a fantastic player. He made him improve during your games. He made you think, he made you plan your own tactics in order to stop him. So, I mean, he was an amazing player. and mean Driving with the ball, very intelligent, he always looked at your movement, according to your movement. it was
00:11:44
Speaker
ah moving around the pitch, you can go out, you can come inside. I mean, it was quick with the ball. i mean It had everything. and and And that, you know, but I always say that one of the best game I played with Arsena as a defender was against him when we won the global at Alstra for so. It's a top player. Who do you think is the best right back in the world right now?
Predictions and Fun Questions
00:12:17
Speaker
Alessandra Arnold.
00:12:20
Speaker
um Inter Milan Juventus Napoli who wins the Serie A this season?
00:12:31
Speaker
Arsenal in the Premier League.
00:12:36
Speaker
um just before Just one last question. But I wanted to ask you, um would any of to- today's Arsenal players get into your invincible side and who would that be?
00:12:48
Speaker
I said again, I mean, I stick to my personal invincible, I believe that we have to avoid compression because always when we compare, always signs of weaknesses. So the fact that we have to stick to the team that we are now, Arteta is doing an amazing job, they do as well.
00:13:08
Speaker
So, I mean, we had a team that we can challenge anywhere in the Premier League and we can challenge anyone, the Champions League. So therefore, I stick with the current squad without compression. I will put this or that. So but with this generation.
00:13:26
Speaker
Thank you. learn And final question. Thank you for coming on. The most important one. Pineapple on pizza. Do you like it or do you hate it? Sorry. Pineapple on pizza. You know, it's important for Italians. which Do you like pineapple on pizza? I hate it. good right answer right answer How can you put pineapple in a pizza? Come on. You lived in England. You lived in England, didn't you? Thank you, man. Appreciate it. That was fantastic. You're welcome, man. Thank you. but Thanks, guys. Thank you so much for joining us, Lauren. We wish you all the best in the future. and Thank you, everyone, for listening. Until next time, ciao ciao.