Get French Football News sat down with former Liverpool and Norway star John Arne Riise for a wide-ranging interview, during which we talked about his first major club, AS Monaco.
I want to go back to the start of your career. Do you still follow Monaco at all?
Yeah, I follow the results and I see they change the team a lot. It’s been like some periods are good and then suddenly they start losing some games and they go down again and I just want Monaco to be consistent. You know, there there’s too much up and down when it comes to performances and players in and out, and coaches too, and too much happening behind the scenes.
I haven’t been back for so many years and I would love to come back and see some games and visit the stadium because Monaco is the team that made me a footballer. They made me an adult. Because I went there when I was 17. I learnt a new language and learnt how to live by myself. I had so many amazing players, teammates that really took care of me and showed me the way.
Because I came in 1998 when France had won the World Cup. So I had like Fabien Barthez and David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry was there. I mean, for a 17-year-old to learn from these guys was just amazing. And I could see what it takes to be a professional, how to live it in day-by-day life. And I met Costinha, who was my closest friend, who picked me up every day for training, spoke English. He was the only one who spoke English at that time.
So I have so many good memories from the place and from the club and from the press centre, from the physios from the coaches – it was Jean Tigana who brought me in but it was maybe more Claude Puel who really showed me the way. Because he ran with us, you know, when we had running sessions he ran with us, he was more aggressive in his pep talks although he didn’t speak English. But I have so many memories from that club and I wish I could come back now and visit the club and just see how they built La Turbie and how the training facilities have changed since I was there.
You mentioned Barthez, Trezeguet, Henry. There was also Marcelo Gallardo, Marco Simone – such a good team. You’ve played in some great teams across your career. How highly would you rate that Monaco team?
When it comes to big names and when you look at the team in Monaco – and we won the league as well. We had Ludovic Giuly, Sabri Lamouchi, Costinha, Philippe Christianval, like you said – Simone – also Willy Sagnol, Philippe, Léonard, Martin Djetou – I mean, some unbelievable names that, when it comes to talent and individual skills, that was one of the best teams that I played with because they were at the peak of their careers and we won the league with I think it was three or four games left. But I learned so much from them, being a young boy. And I was there also with my Swedish friend Pontus Farnerud. We were the same age when we won the league and we learned a lot from those players and those are moments I will never forget.
John Arne Riise was speaking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of Betinia NJ
