‘I’ve never been one of the bottle’
Launch of the week: That would be José Mourinho unveiling his brand new wine. Have a guess at what it’s called. Over to you, Jose: “Finals, I’ve won them,” he says in the launch video. “Leagues, I’ve conquered them. I’ve never been one of the bottle. I make the bottle. I prefer not to speak. My achievements, my success, my work, they speak for themselves. This is The Special One.”
Yes, he’s called his wine The Special One and, needless to say, “it is more than a drink”. It reflects Jose’s “relentless desire to enjoy every moment in life” and offers “a journey of flavour, character and heritage”. It is “crafted with passion and care, it is a gift from one special one to another.”
And to be honest, it would want to be special. The cost of a single bottle and delivery to Ireland? €161.43. No kidding. You’d think they’d knock the 43 cents off. Also, be warned: “This product is available for pre-order and will be shipped in 12-16 weeks.” You wouldn’t want to be thirsty.
Word of mouth
“I learned Spanish for over a year – and then ended up in Italy.” Ben Godfrey on having to start brand new language classes when he moved from Everton to Atalanta. And now he’ll have to learn Ipswishese having joined them on loan this month.
“Jamie Carragher’s son James has scored his first professional goal for Wigan Athletic ... and is just three goals away from his father’s career tally.” Sky Sports being exceedingly mean to poor Jamie, if factually correct, on the tweet machine.
“We were happy to play but Seaham decided that the surface was unsafe and therefore didn’t want to play. As a result, the match was called off.” North Tyneside non-league West Allotment Celtic FC explaining why their game against Seaham Red Star was postponed – the pitch was covered in goose poo.
In words
“Rest in peace, Pat.” Emmanuel Petit paying his respects to another Arsenal legend, Pat Rice, on Sky Sports last week. (“I’ve got some good news,” said host David Jones, “Pat Rice sends his best ... he’s alive and kicking.”
In numbers
1,053,000: That’s how much (in Euros) Chelsea have paid San Diego Wave for United States defender Naomi Girma – the first woman to cost over a million (in dollars or Euros) in the history of the game.
Lost in translation?
Player unveiling of the week: No contest, it was, of course, RC Strasbourg’s video welcoming Andrew Omobamidele to the club having signed him on loan from Nottingham Forest.
Over footage of the Connemara landscape, lots of sheep, birds, mountains and a farmer watering shamrock, this is how it went (with thanks to Google Translate):
“It is said that there is a land scorched by the wind. Where the lakes are for the living. Where the black clouds come from the north and colour the earth, the lakes, the rivers. This is the landscape of Connemara, or maybe that of Alsace.”
Then Omobamidele walks in to an Irish pub in Strasbourg and says, “It already feels like home. Here we go!”
Considering Omobamidele grew up in Lucan and then Leixlip, the focus on Connemara was a bit of a mystery, but no matter. Unique is the word.
Smooth move
Those of a certain vintage will remember Brazil’s Paulo Roberto Falcao, simply known as Falcao, as one the game’s greatest midfielders, the now 71-year-old beaten only by Paolo Rossi to the 1982 World Cup’s player of the tournament award.
Falcao’s son Giuseppe has finally spotted a player who might just be as good as his Da. “There is a player in this championship who drives me crazy and has been driving me crazy for a few years. A midfielder who can do everything. Physical, technical, he gets into spaces, he scores. Leader. Maybe the comparison is strong, but he reminds me of a modern Falcao. TOTAL midfielder.”
That player? Scott McTominay. Having flogged him for €30 million last August, Manchester United are now possibly preparing a €130 million bid.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
