Chris Samba | Homeless To Russian Riches

34:18I mean, the electricity was going off. No, it was a difficult time. It was like I was in... Are you thinking, what am I coming to here? In my head, I was like, oh my God, this is difficult. But obviously, if the goal is to be... Obviously, the goal was every time the Premier League. In France, when you're a kid, my generation, and you're looking at the English games, it's like, it's different. It's like looking for a budget movie and a Hollywood movie. You see the difference straight away. You know, it's like every time you turn up, we don't know how, every time we turn up the TV to watch an English game, it's sunny.

35:01So how is it possible that in England, every time you put an English game on TV in France, it's sunny and it looks amazing. There was a fan and everything. And that's what you want to do. You know, everybody wants to be in England. And, you know, so the end game, every time being in the Premier League, so it happened faster than I thought it would. So it's no problem for me, you know. Sorry, Chrissie, did you, like you've played 20 games in the Bundesliga. Did you think that you'd be good enough for the Premier League at that point? I think my game was more better suited for the English game, you know, physical.

35:39I like the contact, you know. I really like that aspect that, you know, The tackle is uploaded. This is what I loved. So when I came here, it was seamless, easy. I was going to say, if you think back to that trial, was there a moment when you thought, I'm actually, I can handle this. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. I mean, I've been training with the first team. So I've trained with Benny, McCarthy at the time, all this player, David Bentley, everybody, Robby Savage. I was holding my own, easy D. And I was like, yeah, I can do that. And how was it at the end of the trial? Was it a case of getting you signed on as quickly as they can because they didn't want to lose you?

36:18It was not really in my hand, I would say. It was not really in my hand. When I left, I left from the trial. I didn't know what was their decision. So no indication? Well, I had indication that they liked me, but then they confirmed and they got things quickly moving. So I came back then a week after or something like that. Did Blackburn have to pay a fee for you? Yeah. They pay 400k. 400k, yeah. So it's not really that massive a gamble for Blackburn, is it? No, it's definitely not. 400 grand in 2007. It's not a lot of money really, is it? But Blackburn at the time, if you remember, was known to do really, really smart business.

37:00You know, I've played like Benny McCarthy, who was a Champions League winner. How did you arrive at Blackburn? You know, we had OK Santa Cruz. You have, you know, players that you thought you couldn't get. But they were coming to the club, you know. So at the time, they were really smart management, you know, bringing the right player, you know. And we were, we have to say what it is. We were overachieving clubs, you know. Did you train? How were you playing? Were you all or nothing? At the start, at the start, yes. Then when I reached a certain level, I was more like, yeah, I'm going to get what I need more.

37:37Because I was going to say that. Imagine going out to training and big Chris is marking you. Just fucking leave us alone. Chris had one heart last night, mate. Just fucking leave off us, will you? I wouldn't be there. I would be up front. You're all right. I was all right. I'd be number 10 up front anyway. Knock it on, Chris. Is anybody going to go play centre-half for our team? I think Chris is up front. Unless we work the tactical things. No, if it's little games, I'm up front. You know, finding me close to the goals. Forget it. I want to dribble. I want to have third. and our new score goes, you know.

38:10That's me. In that first season, who did you play against in the Premier League that you thought, this is brilliant, first of all, to play against him, but you did well against? First time, Thierry Henry. I arrived to, I think, Blackburn, I think a month after, you know, we played in the quarterfinal of the FA Cup or the Carball Cup. I'm not sure which one was it, but that was the last game for Thierry before he go to Barcelona. So, yeah, you know, from two months previous playing him on PlayStation and suddenly the guy is there. Yeah. Did you pass him on earth? Was it Ryan Nelson? No, I mean, he would terrify both of us.

38:59More me because I'm new, you know. But no, he would terrify both of us. You know, and luckily I think he was not in a state of mind where he wanted to bury us because he was on his way out. But still, he's still Chez Henry, you know, and you can see the power, the speed and everything. So that was quite like, sometimes it's a wake up call, you know, you're just like, ooh, like, yes, you got to work again, you know, to be able to deal with that kind of individual. Three years previous. Jogba as well, you know, you play Jogba. Jogba sent me back to the gym, you know. I got, I got, I got strong because I got, yeah, no, seriously.

39:39I arrived in England with 78 kilos. I'm skinny, long and skinny, you know, and you play against these guys. They put a elbow into you. You have a dent. You're like, what is going on? Go back to the gym. You have to go back to the gym, you know? So yeah, I would say those two give me a reality check early on. Can you remember like when you got offered your contract at Blackburn? Yeah. Yeah. Was it a case of thinking, fuck me. Or that initial contract, was it you're fighting again to get there?

40:15Not, I mean, I was at the time, I don't think I was like too much. Like, I think my first contract at Bragman was like eight a week, something like that. So when you bring it back together, I was just a little bit above what I had in Berlin. So it was just like the continuity, continue to progress, you know. and obviously it was a good it was a good time because obviously the pound was so powerful you know you arrive I remember the first year I go to you know after playing for Blackburn I go to holiday in the US one pound two dollars you know so you're the king over there you know you want to buy an iPhone it's 500 pounds not a thousand not a thousand you know you know what I mean so everything was good you know the taxes were 30 % It's beautiful.

41:02So when you look at your paper, you start there, you finish at a respectable amount. But fast forward, I think a year after when they changed the tax, it's like, I'm back where I was. You have to work again. You have to work even harder to get better. What was the difference in an English dressing room? What did you notice more from an English dressing room to from the German one? I'm talking David Bentley really but for me it's two different stages because really when I came to the Urteil Berlin dressing room is a little bit more serious I would say you know the player obviously you have every time you know in every dressing room you have like crews you know a bit more together here together there you know so I was more with a young player looking at you know how the older player behave I think they were a bit more serious you know in their approach in Germany I think it's a bit more relaxed when I arrived to to Blackburn in dressing room more laughing more family kind of vibe you know everybody just laughs everybody have fun so I prefer the vibe in the English dressing room really you're talking about all of them because all dressing room is terrible I mean I can tell you how good like been dressing room was I can tell you how terrible CUPI dressing room was you know yeah so took you under the wing you know so come on we'll go Manchester we'll have it I was I was I think I was lucky at the time because I had players like um Stefan Ancho you know and he's the one players I've been like you know obviously it was not easy for him because he was towards the end I was the one repressing him as well you know at the time so but he really took me and you know with him you know he was the one taking me in town having a drink you know Could you speak English at the time?

42:57French English, I call it. I call it French English. Like whatever they teach you at school is not what you hear. The little funny, the one in your pencil case. Three brothers, one sister. Yes, like on different stages. I mean, I arrive here, you know, and you hear Robbie Savage speak. You're like, I don't know. I didn't learn that English. Then you go in the game and, you know, you're marking Jar and Carragher and they speak and you say, this is definitely not English. you know so it was different you had to learn again again the language properly because when an irish person talked to me i would just be like you know looking at you like what did you say i had to you know to to relearn again and relearn the different accent you know the georgies and you know the londoners and you know the scousers accent a different different type but but it was Did you injure Martin Olsen in training?

43:55Injured that destroyed him. He was destroyed. No, not really. I thought there was a denial coming. Injured. No, I destroyed the poor boy, man. When I think about it, I was a bit selfish, but I was right to be. I mean, it's you against, you know. Is this when you first arrived making an impression? That was basically, you know, we did, we've gone through the week, you know, we, we train and everything at the game. You know, obviously, they want to see me a little bit in the game, you know. So what they did is they organized the game with the reserve team, you know, with players, French players of the first team.

44:31And, you know, so we had the game, 11-11. And obviously, there's no way that I'm here trying to, you know, to play for a living and you're going to embarrass me. And there's no chance, you know. So I remember you break on the left side and there's a ball in between both of us, you know, and I absolutely destroy him when Tacko and Tacko is all, you know, he's a, he's a, he's calf, you know, and when I came back to the club, I look at him and he's always in the boots, in the boots and everything. And he look at me like, I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I needed the contract. I needed that, you know, you helped me out, you know, helped me out there.

45:11To be fair as well, though, I think he's looking at you and thinking, I'm going to let him off this one. Then I was in his corner, so I would fight his battle too. So I think, you know, we're good. Destroyed him. Build a good partnership with Ryan Nelson over the next couple of years. But I've been lucky, you know, because for a young player to arrive in a team and you have real men, I mean, you know, real men. You have Brad Friedhoff, Ryan Nelson, Andre O, you have Stephen Warnock. real men with a real makeup and you know they're gonna go into you and you know they're real warriors as well so they said when I arrived I had to follow a certain standards you know that's a standard that they put out there and he helped me as well you know because I had to get to that standard where I was hey you can count on me too I'll put my head when I put the foot don't worry yeah yeah I think that's a good description around it just look like a real man yeah he's He's manning the barbecue, isn't he, with a stubby.

46:15I mean, I never seen, when I arrived there, looking at the guy, like, he looked like two men. Not one. He was wide. He's so wide. I arrived, I was like, what shoulder exercises or back exercises you've been doing? Because this guy is so wide. Like, he was like a fridge. And did you feel as though you had to win people over when you first came out? A hundred percent, obviously. You know, you have to prove yourself, you know. Just arrive and, you know, obviously. it was when I arrived as well I think the injury from Andre Oyer as well helped the situation because obviously I think he had a bad injury at the time, I think he broke his leg or something so they needed somebody to come in and I think Lucas Neal was on his way out so they needed somebody to come in so every ingredient was there for me to arrive and the thing is also when I arrive things have happened so much quicker everything happens so much quicker Marcus, when I sign, he comes call me say listen chris the first six months you know so this end of the season from january now to the end of the season i want you to observe you know observe the game you know get familiar with the game and everything and uh so me you know i'm relaxed you know and everything and at the weekend i'm in the team you know so i'm just like what kind of joke is this What kind of bad joke or sick joke is this?

47:38You tell me I'm watching and I'm there. First week, not even like the first game coming up, I'm in. And I remember Stéphane Ancho was coming and said, Chris, he come to my room and said, Chris, I don't know if they tell you, but you're going to play. I'm like, what? I'm going to play? I'm like, oh, you know, because you're not prepared mentally. You need to prepare yourself mentally going to a game and you're not prepared, you know. before the game you just like relax you know and no I was in straight away they threw me in and it was against Sheffield United it was against Sheffield United so we got a win but give me a second game and then from there on you're gone you know you're in you're gone that's how you happen can you remember the first time you saw something in a dressing room that you thought that's just too much I'm talking sort of like shitting in wash bags and stuff like that.

48:34Oh, you mean banter? Yeah. Banter-wise? Oh, come on here, lad. I've not been, like, around extreme banter. Like, you know, like, you see on the, sometime on the internet, like, they would put, like, oh, I don't know, baubles in the car or balloons in the car and, you know, this... What do you call them baubles? Huh? Baubles. Nah, you know, when they put those balls in the car or those little balls in the car, this kind of extreme things or, you know, I don't know, Not to this extent, I would say. Not to the extent. Just quick banter, but never like over the top, I would say. No clothes cutting up or anything like that?

49:13No, no clothes cutting up. That's bad. You're not cutting up Chrissy's suit, are you? Would you get involved in it? No, really. No. Not really, because if you start doing it to them, you have to accept that when they're doing it to you, you know what I mean? So then you cannot complain anymore. You're just like, you know. But that's also good if you people don't ever suspect it's you. Then you've really got an advantage there. Yeah, it is. It is. You know, never in trouble for this kind of thing. It's okay. I mean, he was flying under Hughes. Yeah. Hughes leaves and then it was Ince? Yeah. For a short time, yeah.

49:51And I know he struggled. Was there a drop off in standards? I think it was too early for him. You know, he was not ready. definitely not ready to take the team at the time it's difficult because obviously over time when you're in a group you have a certain some things that take place in a dressing room certain hierarchy a little bit certain hierarchy that forms naturally with how you play and I think when he came to the club as well he's starting to start to touch as the players are a little bit more important in the dressing room. And then he collapsed, you know. So that was one of the problems.

50:37He didn't understand that he had to put the most important player in his pocket first. You think that was just an experience of management, really? Definitely an experience, yeah. But you think playing for the managers that he played for, that that would be something that you'd... Yes, but I think this talent to be a manager is also different. I think it's not all about your knowledge. It's about how you communicate with a player. You have some managers who have actually no real coaching talent. Yeah, played at the highest level. Yeah, but they know how to communicate with you to get the best.

51:10They know which words would make you click. So I think it must be a middle ground. I think it was more like one side, but not really very good at the managing part. Did you have to call him gaffer or governor? Oh, gaffer. I call nobody governor. Not when I've slept in stands. You can fuck off, Paul. I've not called him governor. He was putting me on the bench. You know, you call me governor? Are you joking? I don't call no governor. Allardyce came in after that. And if you spoke about where you think Ince went wrong, did Allardyce do all that right? Look after the big characters. Quickly, quickly.

51:50He understood that, you know, also with, obviously, you know, when a manager comes from another club and he comes from an... He also knows a little bit what's going on in the club. You know, you play against, you see the players are, you know, doing well and everything. So to put them aside, it makes no sense. You know, you need those players. So when he came, I think what Sam is really good at is reorganize the team to simple things. When things start to get complicated, you know, he simplifies things. And when things are simplified, it's just input, implement your game around that strong unique that you want on the pitch.

52:29So this is what he put back. And obviously, they found a way to mess it up afterwards. So you as a centre-half, in terms of keeping it simply, just get you to do the basics, just get in the right position. You know, the problem is when you're victim to your own success a little bit. So we are Blackburn Rovers. We are not like the teams that have, I don't know how much to spend in a chunk of their window and bring quality players and everything. We have to build on what we've got, you know, at the club. And what he did is, well, first he simplifies things, but he also, the mentality, you know, because when you're in that position, when you're eight and everything, you try to elaborate on technical little things like play triangle, where sometimes you don't have the player to do all these things.

53:18You know, you want this like Everton trying to get to city level. Everton is Everton. Everton is play one way that made them successful all this time. They're strong, you need their workout. This is Everton. Blackburn, we were similar. You know, we were a hardworking team. So we're getting results and we take advantage of set pieces and things that we could take advantage. Obviously, we're also lucky to have players like Gams Pedersen, Bentley, McCarthy. Creative aspect. Creative player. So this fact that you have the strong unit and then you have those players that can deliver goals. It worked, you know.

53:54When Leicester won the league, strong unit and then player. It's not so much a game that they produce. It's more that they're strong at the back. They don't concede and they have players up front that can produce goals, you know. Quite simple, really. Quite simple, you know. So sometimes when you try to end the game, oh, be there, you know, play the triangle. It just messes up the whole psyche of the team. you know. We've had Sam on and we've had loads of lads on that played for him and talk about the importance of the lads in his teams that he trusted. Yes. And I'm assuming you were one of them.

54:29Yeah. Did you understand that? He's a manager that made me a captain for the first time, you know, so I think he understood that I also was a good, I was in a good place with the communication in the dressing room. So it's me with, you know, the African boys, French boys, English boys. I was good with everyone too. So this helped because I could help bring everybody together. You know, if, sorry, Jufy had a problem with, you know, Keith Andrews, I would come in the middle. You know, that's an example. Or if - You two, Shea Kahn, you imagine a good middle man and all. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So we try to get in the middle and, you know, we find common ground and we go on and things like that.

55:13So I could speak to everyone. I think by that time, you know, I've earned the respect of the older player, like Brad, like, you know, obviously the transition was not easy. I remember I went and asked the authorization to Ryan because the coach come to me. It's like, Chris, you're going to be now club captain. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. Say, no, no, no, no, no. I don't like this kind of things. I'm not the captain. Ryan is a captain. You go see him. He's Ryan the captain. He's like, no, no, no. I speak with Ryan. I said, no, I don't want these problems. I don't like it. I don't want this problem.

55:45Since he's in place, Ryan has been our captain. I can't imagine being his captain now. You know what I mean? But he's like, no, listen, I speak because obviously Ryan was more on his way out as well. Slowly had injuries and things. So I had to go and ask for his benediction. You know, I went. You sat in a conversation. Yeah, I sat. I said, Ryan, listen, nothing that I want. I don't want your responsibilities. I'm not here to, you know, because obviously he's like, He's like my big now, you know, he's like the big brother at the time, you know? And I'm like, he is saying like, hey, he's gonna give me now the responsibility.

56:23You know, so I go see him and I was like, and he gave me his benediction and we continued from there. But it was strange though. Awkward conversation initially. Yeah, so good. And was he all right with it? Did he understand? No, I think he understood. I think he had those sorts of discussion with Agatha, you know, so it was okay. Did you have to pull Jufy in the line a few times? Yeah, of course. Of course. It's Jufy. It's Jufy, you know what I mean? He's got to do stuff, you know. But no, he was good. He was good. Obviously, he had a few dressing room bust up, but I think nothing was extreme.

57:02Nothing extreme. It was worse at QPR, believe me. We'll get on to QPR later. I'm not looking forward to that. I mean, Brony, you played with Pascal and QF. I was with Pascal, you know. Yeah. He's a character too, you know. You have to keep him in, you know, make sure that… Just get him in on time. Oh, yeah. This as well, but no, Pascal is more… He's more just nonchalant, you know. He's more just nonchalant, you know. But he's… No, no malice, no nothing behind. He's just too nonchalant. Sometimes you have to be a little bit more serious. That's all. We did have a few Blackburn fans get in touch.

57:41Ask your thoughts on the Venkis. Oh, Lord. Did you have anything to do with them when you played there? We have a couple of disagreements. You know, obviously we were not in the same places when they arrived. You know, obviously they wanted to come and to build, you know, whatever their vision were at the time, you know. And I just felt at the time when they arrived, it was not my team anymore. You know, everybody's left almost. Most of the team has left. So I was just like, listen, you know, it's time for me as well to move on. And they didn't want to let me move on. So from that time on, from the get-go, we didn't have a great relationship.

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1:00:18Now at McDonald's a McDouble is$2.50 so you can get your gym gains on or just get lunch for only$2.50 Get more value on the under$3 menu Limit time only Prices and participation may vary Prices may be higher for delivery What were what were Sam's trips like? Fantastic C 'est très bien C 'est très bien Super

1:00:47super best trip you you can have were we talking about he works he worked yeah you know you can say whatever you want you know his trip are like this we don't train much and everything he worked every time we came back we had gone on a run of four or five wins he worked you know so there really weren't much training no no we trained a little bit but you know he had this way he knew how to to make us go he really knew he would tell us like okay you know we're gonna go and land and say hey nine nine a.m tomorrow and we're gonna go at nine a.m and say yeah good to see you guys bye

1:01:30then we come back it's just free for all we'll come back with a spirit strong and everything and we go four five four five wins in a row like we were really doing well he would you know what he was doing I think and for us it was fun so and like like you said you know you've seen the success there with Sam and then the bank is coming can you just sense the the team are roared in around you like everybody from the start you know and and also you have some things that that give you education you know when you start to hear that David they're trying to sign David Beckham Ronaldinho and this kind of thing I was just like okay okay you gotta sell some checking in what's going on here well you know and then at the end you end up signing good willy you know just like kind of joke no disrespect good Dave no disrespect but you know that's just from Ronaldinho then you bring us that good willy you're like this is a joke you know you're not serious you know he's at home you're number 8 in the league and you underachieve and you get the guy out from the club what are you doing you know we're successful you know don't change success what's the french word for being full of shit oh mad tech not shit is it it's a hard translation

1:02:55yeah it's merde it's merde de la merde some shit yeah do you remember about the Steve Keen yeah you know I mean that was toxic wasn't it this is to me because I'm somebody that you know value loyalty first you know loyalty to me you do something for me I'll make sure I'm here for you you know that's something I live by so for me it was quite you know for the dressing room aspect you think players don't see things they see everything you know because we see how things unfold obviously you have samaradice you know and and you know neil mcdonald you know at the head i remember at the time they were looking for an additional assistant coach he bring in steve keen you know so the fact that then you take his position you know it's like a bit of a backstabbing situation we don't like that you know in the dressing room we're already looking at each other like that stinks you know so to start this way it's not good already you know because your team already have a kind of yeah some something like like there you know I mean a opinion on him really and obviously I mean you go from from from doing what you're doing bit eight in the league and then you know doing something totally different it didn't make sense to say like it didn't make sense at all you know from that time directly I I knew I have to leave.

1:04:26So now you're an established Premier League player. Did you want to stay in the Premier League? I wanted to stay in the Premier League, obviously. My goal was every time to stay in the Premier League, but I think they were really decided to make things difficult for me. I mean, you see, you had Phil Jones gone, Stephen Warnock gone, Brad Friddle gone, Benny McCarthy gone, Jason Roberts gone. all my team would come. You know, most of my team were gone. I think it was probably Tony left, Gam Spederson and a couple of the young boys, but everybody else that I arrived with has left the club. And they were decided to keep me as a center figure of the team to restart.

1:05:11I'm like, why me? You know, me there and there. But me, you as a player, it's like, why me? Like, pick somebody else. Me, I'm done. You know, I want to move on. You know, so every time there was something coming for me, you know, the deal was not happening. So I was like, okay. Do you think they were holding that back? They were the cars stopping your move? Yeah. Similar to what you had in Berlin? In a different way. In a different way. It was just like I think they were decided to start with me, you know, to restart that thing. But in my mind, I was not in that space anymore. So we wouldn't have a good relationship from that time.

1:05:50It was just a game then. like, okay, who's going to, you know, I'm going to do stuff and you're going to be pissed off and you're going to let me go. You know what I mean? So did you kick off a little bit? Yeah, I did. I kicked off a little bit, you know, being difficult and this and that. It's a game that you don't want to do, but, you know, at some point you're just like, okay, well, that's what we're doing. Okay. You know, dialogue don't work. So let's see. So we're kicking balls in training away. Exactly that. Yeah. Tackling people on their knees. Checking other people down with you. Goodwill is getting one.

1:06:27He get me in and he also get me out. Hey, that tackle work. It works. Were they asking for, because I know you went to Russia and the payers got 12 million here. Was that the fee that they wanted? And was the Russian club the only team that matched that? No, I think at the time, you know, obviously the valuation, you know was at the time I think that they were okay with like around 12 and I think afterwards when you have a couple of moves that happen I think you had Gary Cale going for 17 and everything so then they wanted they also lost money on the Phil Jones deal a lot of money on the Phil Jones deal because I think I think they have something like a bigger offer from a club but then you know the close was a certain amount so they paid for you know the the release closed so they lost all that extra money that got so they are trying to find but every time he fought on me you know so i'm like hey i'm at the wrong place here you know because every time something is wrong you're trying to to recoup you know what you what you lost here with with mine it's not right you know so new challenge in russia yeah new challenge was more like uh i It was an escape at the time.

1:07:45I just didn't want to be at Blackburn at the time. I didn't feel like I should be there. The club is not my people. The coaching changes. I wouldn't have stayed with Steve Keen anyway. For me, it was a no. So I decided to come. So when Samuel Eto 'o called me, he's like, hey, come play with me, come join me. I'm just like, well, let's go. Let's go see. Let's try. Obviously, the money was good. I left. I mean, I can't imagine you ever thought you'd ever play in Russia. No, never. Ever. So, but, see, I personally would never think, fuck, I'll go to Russia. But from where you've been at 16, 17, 18, Russia's a fucking piece of piss, I expect.

1:08:30I mean, you know, I have to say the truth. They were paying over, you know, some big money at the time. I'm glad you've said that, mate. It was attractive. You went for the money, mate. New challenge. You went for the money, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, you have to say the truth. I mean, if it was the same with a, you know, with a little bit that I had at Blackburn, I would have done it. I would have said, no, I'm not doing it, you know. So yeah, the money was warming.

1:08:55Warming, it was cold. Cold in Russia and all. It was warming, so just let's be real. You know, try to pretend, no. So the money made that deal possible. But I mean, at the time, people might have thought, basically it's just for the money, but when they hear the story now of literally leaving at home, I don't think anyone could blame you then thinking, fuck it, I'm just going to make as much as I can. People are funny. People are funny. They pretend that this and that, you earn one million, somebody come and give you ten, you're off. So stop lying. You have to stop this lie. Everybody, if something better comes up, you're going to every time go to the better option.

1:09:38It's life. So every time pretending, no, I would have loved to stay in England, but nobody came, nobody gave what they wanted at the time. So the deal was not possible. I think Tottenham tried, I think Aston Villa tried as well. There was no way for me to leave. So this was my last destination I could go at the time. And what age were you when you went to Russia? I think it's around 2013. So I should have been something like 26, 27, something like that. Is your wife English? Yeah. Yeah. And did your wife go over with you? Had you got kids by then? Yeah. Did you take them off? No, everybody stayed here.

1:10:26Everybody stayed here? Yeah. Everybody stayed here. Yeah. Would you do the same again? Yeah. Probably. I mean, if everything unfolds in the same way, probably yes. Obviously, you know, I would have loved to have my chance, you know, in a bigger club in England. But at the time where I was the best, it didn't come up or the opportunity didn't come because the club didn't make it so easy for me, I have to say. It's like this, it's football. You know, you cannot, you know. And what's the Russian dressing room like? Oh, no, it was really good. it was really good obviously you know for um you have to understand that um everything was cut in in two a little bit so you have the international players on one side and then you have the Russian players you have the the language barrier you know that that is there but uh you know they put in place like everybody had his own translator you know his own translator and um uh the Russian boys also was making the effort to speak English so then everything came together and it was like a big party it was brilliant it was absolutely brilliant yeah I'm just imagining like going to have a pre-match meal and just being like six bottles of vodka on the table no no not like that it's very professional and everything but you know we were just better as well so it was easy you know we were just better I mean we had William, Eto, Diara we were just better some squad you had you know we had some squad you know for Russia so it was just easy we just win and you know rack up tons of money and bonuses and party be happy seriously I can't imagine that phone call from Samuel Eto 'o just getting a call from Eto 'o fancy Russian Russia Chris yeah he had everything done okay you come for this amount for this time for this I'm like sounds good I'm off to Russia it sounds cold in Russia no it's warm No, no.

1:12:28It was like nothing involved, no HIV involved. It was just quick. Like he called me like this, this, this, this, this. I'm like, okay. And we hear stories about when lads go to Turkey to play, they always struggle with getting the wages. The wages are always late and stuff. Was anything like that went on? Was it nailed on? We're getting them early. Early. Early. Now listen, listen. it was a point where we were paid uh in bonuses something like 10k a game you know and then they doubled every time has a certain amount of game it was a point where the bonuses were a joke and they would give it to you on thursdays like you go to the office and machines.

1:13:19Machine. It was crazy. Something I've never done like. And this is just for playing in the game? This is just for playing in the game? This is the game bonus. The win bonus. Win bonus. Win bonus, right. So you arrive to a point, you put 10 in a row. It's just like every Thursday just going. It's crazy. Then we play in Europe. like the amount were ridiculous. I could go to 25, 30 single game quick, 50 sometimes. Why did you do it? Yeah, it would come. Like I remember when we qualified for the European, you know, for Europe for the first time, he came and said, oh, win the game. And I know the game, 100 each, you know.

1:14:02100 each? Yeah. Big, safe European. I love that noise I've seen things I've seen things I've I thought I would never never see something like that Would you do it again? Yeah I know what stupid question that was In a heartbeat In a heartbeat And what so you've got like 30 grand in cash What do you do with it? Spend it Can't put it in the bank You've spent I can imagine it's not easy to suspend 30 grand. It's not easy. It takes time. It takes time. Yeah. So this was not easy because we were living in some time like in cash. Like in Russia, like everything. Cash, cash, cash. It's probably worth it, but did you always feel safe in Russia?

1:15:02Yeah. They put everything, you know, around you. You really feel safe. You have your security, your driver, your things, your translator. You had everything, really everything. So it was never an issue. You know, with the fans in Russia, did you experience some racism? Yeah. Yeah. To be fair, not as much as I thought I would. Right. I had two incidents, you know. One very early when they threw me a banana against Lokomotiv Moscow. I threw back to the guy you know and one against Torpedo Moscow it was just a monkey shant and at half time I just give them the finger and get off got off and did you get penalised for that?

1:15:44I got penalised yeah three game suspension and the club had one game suspension for the fans only happened the same to Hulk as well they gave him three game suspension but one game suspension for the fan for the session What message are you sending there? That's how we are here. Deal with it. That's what it is. That's the way they are. That's outrageous. If you put more sanction on the person who's been abused there, you show your hands. It's fine. So I understood at that time that hey, it's no point crying. It's nothing going to happen. Did racism play a part in your leaving? Because you only stayed a year and a half into a four-year contract?

1:16:29No, really. I think I was injured at the time, you know, that's when I got my hernia on the neck, so I was not playing. But no, at the end, it was just, I was more towards the end of my contract, you know, towards the end of my contract. So I left, I went to, I think, Panathinaikos at the time. Yeah, terrible choice as well. Yeah, because we've heard a lot, we've heard, the drinks aren't the best. Oh, the worst. This I regret. This is one that I regret most because this was just a waste of time. Yeah. A waste of time. In terms of how the clubs ran. Yeah. Yeah. It was ran to the ground at the time I was there.

1:17:13I don't know. I think things are better for them, but at the time I was there. My goodness. I arrived, I remember, and I signed. I was not the happiest to sign there anyway. but I wanted to play so the day after I signed we have a meeting and the meeting on my left somebody is asking a question he's like sorry but my house has not been paid for 19 months I turn in I'm like that's where I am now okay that's gonna be complicated some players were complaining they haven't been paid for months and months and months so it's in his contract that he gets a house and they've not paid the rent on like they don't pay the players like everything is back like salaries whatever bonus everything and i was like oh okay it's too late now i signed i'm here you know so and that's actually what happened i've not been paid for the time i was there so i left in january didn't pay me you still not get paid to this day oh no they paid me after but i had to go through like all the legal nonsense and everything because you know they were they didn't pay on time you know, so.

1:18:23So I was wrong there. So the QPR was a loan, was that a loan? QPR? No. A loan from ANSI? No, no. They bought me and I, then I got bought back by ANSI. So it was me going to ANSI for 12, going to QPR for 12 and going back again for 12. Who's your agent now? Tell us about that.

1:18:54you like it in london now

1:18:59that cute br dressing room we've had have we had many on from it we've had a lot a couple of lads talk about it a little bit yeah i need them so what's just look from outside looking in a bit of a circus it was a circus it was absolute circus um you know obviously the intention were good. He wanted to come, you know, Mr. Fernandez and to build a team, a real team, successful team with Cupair. And he was putting the money as well where his mouth is. I think the big problem that he had is he didn't do it in the right timing. So it means that obviously he comes from the championship so he has a lot of players at championship kind of level, you know, early Premier League, you know what I mean.

1:19:47And then he brings Sean Ray Phillips, you know, they bring a Lugo Emi. So you have those boys here and you have those boys there and like almost nothing in the middle and this created just tension because obviously if you had that player here that is on 20 a week and then you have that player here is on 200 and he's not doing his job you're gonna be pissed off yeah so all over it was just tension and with the lazy they a lot of these lads who've come in on big money yeah probably for one extra pair there where they're just not really that bothered? Yes, because obviously if you take the players that are just after the prime, you know, it's not the same.

1:20:30You're not going to get the same player. You're seeing the name going to give you the same player. Well, no, it's not the same player, you know. You know, you get Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli. It's not Kevin De Bruyne from City. It's not the same player, you know. So you need to understand that but then you pay them like they should, you know, like they're still those guys and then you're angry. because that's not what you thought you bought, you know? Yeah, because if you've got one player like that in a squad, which I'm sure you've been part of, then they can be ostracized a bit and pushed out and we can get on with it without them.

1:21:03But when you've got… It's two groups. Two, three, four, five, six. The groups have, you know, have the respect and the name because they've already done it and the ones that are coming up and trying to get this. So it's two different worlds on the pitch together. no chance to to do it because you when you have a chance and I'm in a better position than you you take the shot because you taking the shot and me scoring that goal get to where I am you know so the team was not the chemistry was horrible and was it like that in training conflict was it conflict dressing room fights really bad really bad can you remember any fights you have here some here someday I remember one time you had a thing Harman Traore with like the second goalkeeper running into the pitch and all these like starting fighting then going to the beach they're running after each other like what is this like it was it was not good it was not good you just think that they just tried to do it all too quickly it was too quick so you know I think at the time if they build a little bit more with the teams that went up and rather than to inject like so many players do it progressively, it would have worked.

1:22:19But the fact that you want to do it straight away one time like that, it didn't work. It didn't work at all. Because César, it was when Julio César was… Julio César was on Massif, Bosingua on Massif, Jean-Louis Félix on Massif, you know, myself on Massif. You have Esteban Granero on Massif. You had, you know, Stefan Mbia who was on a good one. And then you had, you know, the Clint Hills, the Jamie Mikeys, you know, the other ones who were on lower. And they deserved also more. You know, sometimes with a place, they deserve more. But then the ones that are already on more, have already done it, are not giving the same input that they do.

1:22:59Create tension, you know. I think, yeah, I think. It would create tension in any environment of work. you know if you're in the office you do the same work and another and another get 10 times what you get you can't come to work with a smile you know because you feel you have that you will every time as a man have that feeling that hey you know it's not it's not been fair to me you can understand if they're pulling trees up yeah you know what I mean if you talk to a scorer on 200 grand a week and he's scoring the 25 goals sound you can't really complain at that no but when they're coming in and fucking tossing it I mean for the name of the players that were in an interesting room.

1:23:37It's no way that you need to go down to the championship normally with a team like this. Team is team. You can have the best player if it don't work. It don't work. Did Harry Redknapp struggle? Struggle? Doing that? I think he was out of his control at that point. I don't think he could do nothing about it. It was just the way he was because the structure of the salaries in the dressing room was so up and down, you know. There was no way he could have done something. I arrived to the club, I remember, so motivated. You know, I'm that guy, you know. Back in the Premier League. Yeah, I'm back in the Premier League.

1:24:21I'm going to bring that team back, you know. Don't worry, I can do that. I can bring that team together and everything. They hit me slowly by slowly. I started big like that and strong mentally. and every day they would eat a little bit at you, a little bit at you. And at the end, I was like, I need out of here. Would you say that you mentally got to the point where you just thought, fuck this. Fuck this. Yeah. It's the first time I was like, anything I can do is not going to help. And when you first walked into that dressing room and you coming in, like you said, with that mentality as a captain, that captain, right, come on, boys, try to rally the troops.

1:25:00To be fair, we had a couple of good results, but like I say, it was just putting a mask on. It was underlying problems there. So it was okay at the start and we had that little adrenaline shot, but quickly it went back to normal. Must be a strange place to be in that. Yeah. Like for yourself. It was a bad place. this is not really me this, but I just can't help thinking like this. Because you forget there's a lot of lads in that team. Ten years prior would have been world class. I felt... Park J Sung was there, Rio. Yeah, back as well, yeah. I felt absolutely powerless. Like I couldn't feel...

1:25:45At the start, I came and I was like, yeah, I can reach, you know, I can reach people, you know, and everything. And slowly I felt like I can't. It's not working, you know. that's nothing I don't know who could you know do something do you think that players some players came in not asked but other players came in with the same sort of attitude I see some players you know when they sign you know especially players when they come from a London club you know and they go to a secondary London club they become complacent because they want to stay in London it's not about the football it's about where they want to be so you become automatically complacent you know and I think you put your foot down a little bit and you know not really where where you were you know so yes 100 % 100 % Jason Park man I can't imagine him tossing it but maybe he didn't toss it he's just past his past his past his and when you do those things you don't I don't believe that you do it intentionally or you you feel it you just do less because the environment you eat in.

1:26:57Contagious. You know, if you're at United every time, it's like you, everybody, it's like everybody's asking for excellence. But if you come in QPR and you're in a group where they're bickering, you know, the results are not here and everything, maybe unconsciously you, you know, you slow down. It's a product to your environment. Like you said, you've come in wanting to make it the best out of the situation, but how many other players were like that? You just feel defeated. You just feel defeated and you just go through the motion. That's where things fall apart. It's mad that the quality of players who end up feeling like that.

1:27:37It would have been. I mean, if we could have stayed and built maybe a little bit more with the level of players that would have put that team really together and also put all the players that deserve at the right level, then it might have been better you know but we failed to stay in the league that first year what destroys our whole things wide open straight you can't reason with the sun trust us we've tried this summer it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute colombia's omni-shade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin the sun is relentless but so is our gear level up your summer at colombia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion.

1:28:25You're welcome. Columbia, engineered for whatever.

1:28:32And was it, obviously, they'd gone all in, put all the chips on the table. So after relegation, was it just like, right, you need to go? Yeah, I didn't know about that. It was my decision to go because, obviously, I had no relegation clause. And there was no way in the hearse. No relegation clause? No, no. No relegation clause. Yes, exactly. So me in my head, I was like, I'm not doing that. Yeah. I'm not going to be that player on, I don't know, how many a week that you're going to talk about every week because I'm this amount a week. And, you know, it didn't feel hurt for me anymore. So I had to leave.

1:29:10I left everything. I had six-year contract. Six years? No relegation contract? Yeah. One year I did. I did half a year. That's it. Six years? That is the highest level of incompetence. Yeah, and it was a high. Six years. That's amazing. I had a five-year contract. That's amazing. With no relegation clause. The back end of the seat, so from Christmas to end of the season, I'm guessing that there was a threat of relegation. Yeah, it was. At Christmas. Yeah, it was. They won one game all season. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to come and I'm strong enough to change this. And if I can do that, that would be the achievement of a lifetime.

1:29:54I knew that. You know, if I arrive and I manage to do this, that would have been the biggest. It was too much for me. Way too much for me. I couldn't do it. Five-year contract with no relegation cause. Yeah. Starting in the relegation zone. And also, you have to understand that where I came from, you know, was not lower. You know what I mean? When I came back to Kupia, I was not lower. so I would have been on some in a championship and to me I was like this is not hurt, I cannot do this because if I'm here in a championship with this amount of money that would be the talk of every week I think I could have caught the talk yeah so I was just like no, you need to get out of here and they bought me back, they were happy because when I left, I left because I had the clothes in my contract they didn't want me to leave it's me who decided to pack my bag again and go, they didn't know so what's the with the with the I think I know we had to go we were our most happiest Thursday afternoons in that office he loves us this he loves us this do you know when you you went to Greece Turkey and Russia but in the back of your mind were you thinking I'd like another crack in England that's why I came back to KPR I wanted to be back in England.

1:31:18I really wanted to be back in England. But also, you have to understand, when I came back, they didn't give me time to get back to who I really am. I was overweight. You come back from holiday. I came back from holiday when I came to QPR. I didn't have one week to prepare. They put me on the pitch with probably 10 kilos over, and things like that. But I went into my reserve. I remember we win a couple of games and then my body just broke down. No pre-season. I'm 6 '5", 100 kilos. I'm not a light midfield. I need preparation, you know. That's even more mental. The squad that they've got, the size of the squad, the players that are there and Chris Samba's come in overweight from holiday and you're straight in the team.

1:32:06Straight in. That's how bad the options are. He knew I was not fit because, you know, that simple exercise when you had to do 20 seconds to the end of the pitch, you know 20 seconds 20 seconds to come back i couldn't finish it when they asked me how fit i was i was like 20 percent i said it's good enough go i was like you know so people say oh yeah people say you were shit i'm like i was not even trained i didn't train at all i come they threw me in and i played a couple of games and i was just getting worse and worse by the game because i was you know my body was falling apart not prepared What I meant was the Aston Villa thing.

1:32:47You had that negative experience of QPR. Was there always a thing in the back of your mind that you wanted to come and finish properly in England? I wanted that. I wanted to show people, hey, okay, I've gone for a couple of times. Because sometimes the last vision that people have of you is what they think you are. So for me, it was important to come and to set the record straight, if you know what I mean. But I did not have the chance to even do that. But I did that after when we returned obviously to Anzi or Dinamo. We had Europe, a couple of good playing events against the English team and everything and prove, hey, we can play against those teams, beating Liverpool and things like that with Anzi.

1:33:32We're capable of doing that. Is that right what the Travzon's small manager said? This is not the Samba I know. This is some kind of Mike Tyson. I need a football player, not a heavyweight boxer. Who say that? Tramson Sport. Tramson Sport. Tramson Sport. Manager. Tramson Sport, they're a bunch of liars. You know what happened in Tramson Sport? The funniest things ever. I went from Dynamo, fly out there. They wanted, you know what happened when I arrived there? So I arrived there. You know, we did the medical and everything. It's turkey, isn't it? Yeah. The contract, we talk about the contract and everything.

1:34:15And we go, they have to play the game to qualify for Europe. So basically, they wanted me to come in really for Europe, really. I go to the game, they lose badly. They not qualify for Europe. They now, certain reason to lower my contract that we already discussed the day. You know what I mean? They're liars. and then at the end they were like no thanks I'm out I'm leaving that's why we talk you try to change things because you didn't qualify for Europe it's not going to happen so he's chucked the Mike Tyson into the dress to protect himself yeah that's what happened we were sitting with an agent in the stage and they lost and they didn't qualify for Europe pull the contract pull the contract that's what happened I was actually happy it didn't go through because Lord, Trabzonsport, what a place.

1:35:12I mean. You were still going to sign though, weren't you, if the fucking contract were there? That would have warmed me up. But in hindsight, in hindsight, electric blanket, fucking boiling turkeys. Yes. In hindsight, I was like, I'm happy I didn't sign there. Jesus. Yeah. The food was dreadful. The place was dreadful. It's like, there was nothing good about Trabzonsport. Like nothing. It was really me doing what I have to do to make sure I look after the family, but it was nothing to do with a football choice at the time, you know. Where were you happiest? Hmm? Where were you happiest? Thursday afternoon in that office.

1:35:52Where was your happiest throughout your career? Oh, Blackburn and Hansi. Yeah. Blackburn and Hansi, definitely. Those two places had a good vibe, good atmosphere. Yeah. I mean, we've had lads on who've had like unbelievable journeys, but we haven't had one like that. From where you've come from. Yeah, a lot of people are like, you should make a movie. I'm like, nah, I'm too lazy. You don't have to act in it yourself. You don't have to act in it yourself. No, but you have to write and lose. I'm like, nah, leave me alone. I've got Universal on. It's warming. if it's warming you know I say if it's warming we can talk but you know I have I have six kids three boys three girls it's a lot of work you know so I have my hands full Would you obviously you went to Russia and that were fucking incredible for the reasons we spoke about would you have rather have had a 12 year Premier League career and earned less money Yes Yes I would have rather I've stayed here and probably try.

1:37:04At the time, if I was able to make that little jump to a team who play Europe regularly, that's what I wanted. I wanted to say, I can do what those guys do. You know what I mean? But we would never know because I was never put in that position. Who's been your favorite defensive partner? Oh, Ryan. Ryan, yeah. I didn't realize he had a bad knee, didn't he? Could he barely train? At some point, at the start it was okay, but at some point when I transitioned to the captaincy is when he started to have pain in his knee and issues. But no, definitely Ryan. You didn't give him one of them training tackles, did you?

1:37:46The producer? Yeah. Oh, he was like a bull. You know, you have some players in training, you know, we stay from each other. You know, we don't bang and we don't do those things. You spend a lot of time watching your boys at City? Obviously, yeah. Obviously, yeah. I spend a lot of time. Obviously, that's the next goal, the next chapter, is to get those boys to have that mentality to be able to achieve a football career. Because now the distractions are incredible. So it's very difficult to stay focused in this day. in this day and age, it's different. Do you enjoy watching football now? Not so much.

1:38:36It's totally different, I think. I think it bores me. I mean, I try to not sleep, you know, in the game. A lot of time, I'm just, I start to nod. So much better when you were playing, weren't it? It was more exciting. Exciting, it was fun, you know, to tackle, to block your hands, to block the finger, to block your head, you know, man, get on with it, you know, and now it's just, everything is just a bit robotic, like personalities, like different characters, you know, everybody's a little bit the same. And this is one of the fights, you know, that I have my boys. I say, listen, if you want to be something special in football, you have to be you, you know, exactly you.

1:39:21Because the problem is to take off your identity a little bit by doing that passing pass, pass, pass, pass. but for me the best football players as a football player that when you take your kid and play with a group and you look at him play and he plays a certain way that's the way you should play as well when you go there with those little obviously those little but that's you but today players have hard difficulty to really be themselves on the football field and they also put in that in a box you know they put everybody's put in a box we don't understand that you need you need a Roy Kinn to be a six, you know, to come and to be angry, hungry to get the ball back.

1:40:03You need characters, different characters to make the game exciting, you know. Before we had that, but now today we don't know who people are. Are we likely to see a Samba in the future in an England shirt or a French shirt, a Congo shirt? Well, I have ones I have opted for England, I was playing for England, you know, and ones I have opted for Germany. Or German option as well. Maybe the last one will choose France. We'll see. Maybe Emerson, you know, is the last one we choose France. So it would be me done for Europe. I'm not going to have no more because then he will have to play for Spain.

1:40:44So I'm done. Thanks very much. Thank you very much for that, mate. And that's probably my favourite ever bit on the podcast in eight years. Oh, please. Hey, you have to be real. love that noise top man thank you very much thank you