Comments on: Intelligent Footballers – Is It Possible?

By: Liviu Bird

Liviu Bird — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:20:01 +0000

Kasey Keller is very well-spoken and also wears glasses when he’s not on the pitch.

By: cherie

cherie — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:42:36 +0000

Didn’t Rooney just get a new tattoo that reads “just enough education to perform?” So fitting.

By: k

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:26:10 +0000

inzaghi has a degree in accounting…

and seedorf always comes across as well-versed during interviews…

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:56:29 +0000

municheart – good call on Klinsmann and Bilic. Maybe Becks as well, since he’s made millions off his own arse?

By: munichheart

munichheart — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:58:20 +0000

some intelligent football persons:

Lilian Thuram – wherever he goes, he gets involved in political party situations, and takes a stand
Clarence Seedorf – softspoken but is a real gentleman, classy and has organizations outside of football that he is chairman or spokesperson
Zinedine Zidane – had to learn it the rough way
Slaven Bilic – trained lawyer, musician
Ottmar Hitzfeld – mathematics professor
Jose Mourinho – translator
Jurgen Klinsmann- PR guy, and hires lots of “fitness” experts
Alessandro Del Piero
Thierry Henry – he knows the soccer business of endorsement
Thomas Hitzlsperger – has a degree in monetary accounting I think
Steven Gerrard – at least he’s a gent
Frank Lampard – has a degree

just some examples

By: Graham Fisher

Graham Fisher — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:43:55 +0000

I quite agree with many of the comments. The players that we talk about are often not far from being geniuses on the football pitch. They have the reactions, vision and athletic ability that mere mortals can only dream about.

I am talking only about the ability to string a sentence together. There aren’t too many that can do that.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d swap my ‘o’ levels for David Beckham’s football ability tomorrow if I could!

By: Taron

Taron — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:52:54 +0000

Graham what you are forgeting is that people are not born with inteligence. They gain most of it through education, which requires time and these people spend most of their time playing football, cause that’s what they love and want to do. All this said I believe that it’s unfair to blaim them, for not being more inteligent. The same way I can blaim a scientist for being a weakling in many sports, which most of them are.

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:04:22 +0000

as SAF once said – there are 15-yr olds at United’s youth academy who are quint-lingual. Doesn’t mean a bloody thing.

By: JACKRAIDEN

JACKRAIDEN — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:46:47 +0000

Senderos is well-known for his intellect and he’s quint-lingual

By: Gary Andrews

Gary Andrews — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:28:49 +0000

I think this story somewhat proves Graham’s point:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/08/crystalpalace.championship?gusrc=rss&feed=football

Perhaps we should have another column, should footballers be allowed near computers :p