When the idea of a conversation-style interview was explained to Freddie Ljungberg, the Mumbai City marquee player let out a hearty laugh. He promised that if he and Goa counterpart Robert Pirès were to have a chat about their time as Arsenal teammates, and their experiences in India, the interview would go on for hours!

What followed was an enlightening and fun exchange as Swede Ljungberg and Frenchman Pirès reminisced about their six seasons together, and shared their thoughts about the Hero Indian Super League. The banter between the two friends was on display throughout. “Robert speaks very good English!” Ljungberg joked, before Pirès set the record straight. “When I joined Arsenal, my English was horrible! But Freddie was a good teacher.”

It transpired that they were neighbours in London, and used to drive together to practices. Talk of training led to a discussion about Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who has had a profound impact on the two wingers. Pirès has previously spoken of Wenger’s influence on his career, revealing that his former manager encouraged him to take the opportunity to sign for Goa. He was similarly effusive here. “Everyone knows Arsène as a great manager. But more than that, as a person, he is very good. He gave me a lot of confidence. We learned a lot from him.”

Ljungberg readily concurred. “He taught me a lot. As a human being, as well, as Robert was saying, about values in life. And making you feel comfortable on the pitch, giving you the confidence to play.” The Swede also shed light on Wenger’s calm approach. “Some teams would put up a big striker in the last ten minutes if they hadn’t scored. We played the same. He always gave me confidence that we would score. Arsène didn’t panic.”

Both cited team spirit as their Arsenal side’s outstanding quality. “It was never ‘you want to be in the newspaper for scoring three goals.’ That didn’t matter,” explained Ljungberg. “I think that made the team special.” He went on to add, “The players were nice. Right now, Robert and I can get together and have a laugh. That’s what I take away from my time at Arsenal.”

The conversation turned to India, beginning with the reception they got when they arrived. “I received a warm welcome at the Mumbai airport, and in Goa,” Pirès remembered. “It was amazing!” And Ljungberg pointed to this as evidence of the passion amongst Indian fans. “That’s something you don’t expect. Some people were asking, how much do they like football, and how much is it because of the ‘spectacle’? When thousands of people are coming to the airport, in the middle of the night, they come because they’re football fans.”

Pirès recalled the audience at the ISL opening in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. “It was amazing. I said to myself, is this the Indian Super League or the World Cup?” he said, before sharing his memories from stadiums across the country. “In Guwahati, against NorthEast, it was fantastic; in Kerala as well. In Goa, the atmosphere is very good. The people love football so much! There’s so much passion for the teams and the players.”

Swedish winger Ljungberg had similar opinions about Indian fans. “Everybody was saying, ‘It’s only cricket in India.’ For me, wherever we go, there is a lot of interest. There is space for football.”

The duo’s deep love for the game shone through as they spoke of their mission in India. “We have a mission for Indian players, for helping football here. There is potential. And most importantly, there is a passion for football,” Pirès said. Ljungberg echoed his former teammate’s thoughts. “We’re here to play good football, of course. But at the same time, the important thing is to inspire young players, and to help Indian players take on board the experience we have.”

On a light-hearted note, Ljungberg and Pirès shared funny experiences from their time in India so far. Traffic immediately came up as the common answer! “In Mumbai, the traffic is special,” Ljungberg said. “When I go back to London and drive there, the police will hunt me down!” And the former teammates also combined to set up a perfect dinner when they shared their favourite foods. “I love chicken tikka masala!” Pirès said, Ljungberg added the complement. “Garlic naan. Wow.”

The legends ended their dialogue with a warm hug, and further banter off-camera. Their shared experiences of Arsenal and India provided a fantastic glimpse for fans, as India continues to soak up the footballing action. 

For more of this exclusive chat with Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pirès, click for Part 2 and Part 3.