As Noddy Holder once sang: “Come on feel the noise, girls grab the boys; we’ll get wild, wild, wild.” More pertinently, the Black Country legend also once roared – on Slade’s inescapable ode to December 25th: “It’s Christmas!!”
That’s right, it’s here again. As if you hadn’t noticed. Come this Thursday morning we’ll all be heading off to the church of our favoured denomination for hymns, prayers and an engaging sermon on the life and times of Jesus Christ & chums.
Except that, in all probability, none of us will be adhering to that model of a traditional Christmas celebration. In a secular society, it’s far more likely that the once-holy day will be spent unwrapping iPods and hedge-trimmers, downing a Guinness or six, tolerating overcooked Brussels sprouts, and rowing with the missus/significant other over the merits of a can of De-Icer as a suitable Chrimbo present.
Once that unholy ordeal is done and dusted, it’s on to Boxing (or for any Irish readers – St Stephen’s) Day. Then we can really revel in the joys, thrills and spills of our modern religion: football. It’s housed in the contemporary cathedrals, churches and chapels; the ones we fondly call Anfield, Molineux and, erm, The Reebok. And I, for one, can vouch for the uplifting hymnal qualities of Villa Park’s rousing “Paul McGrath m’lord; Paul McGrath...On the piss m’lord; on the piss...”to the tune of campfire classic ‘Kum Ba Yah’.
With the obscene sums of money swilling around the upper echelons of English football, endlessly cosseted players and a raft of power-hungry club owners; the beautiful game, as it stands today, seems as far detached from the lofty altruistic ideals which form the basis of any major organised religion. Yet, amid the sheer godlessness of it all, there are a number of top footballers that hold strong religious beliefs. In a profession which is entirely, some would say necessarily, self-centred, and in an age when practising religion is the exception rather than the rule, there remain a few dedicated to a higher power than even Sir Alex, Rafa or Arsene.
No, no, it’s not Fabio Capello, rather the big man (or men, or whatever spirits/beings apply) who dwells upstairs.
Currently top scorer in the Premier League and a (mostly) reformed character; Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka directly attributes the recent resurgence in his career to his 2004 conversion to the teachings of Islam. Having earned himself a reputation as a wayward star; difficult to work with and prone to fits of sulkiness that would shame even Antonio Cassano, Anelka was apparently lost to English football for good when spells at Arsenal, Liverpool and, finally, Man City ended sourly.
Following his conversion, Anelka swapped the Light Blues for the environs of predominantly Muslim Istanbul, at Fenerbahçe. Upon his return to these shores – at Bolton, in 2006 – doubts about the Frenchman’s attitude lingered. But it soon emerged from the Wanderers dressing room that the quicksilver striker was a changed man. Still a quiet, contemplative character, but now with a new-found maturity and, quite implausibly, known for his friendly demeanour around the training ground. Success in Lancashire soon brought Chelsea a-knocking.
It’s true, his first season at the Bridge ended in ignominy, as his Champions League-deciding penalty kick was stopped in Moscow. Now though, in the continuing absence of Didier Drogba, Anelka is firmly established as a key man for both the Blues and Les Bleus.
The 29-year-old’s interest in his faith dates back to his childhood in the tough outskirts of Paris: “The Muslim religion interests me,” he told reporters back in 1999. “When I'm in Trappes, I hang out with Muslims and we discuss it a lot. In the summer we're outdoors until 4am, so we have the time to talk. It opens your mind and the subject fascinates me, just like astronomy does.”
Similarly brought up in the roughest of rough neighbourhoods; Franck Ribéry (whose wife, Wahiba, is Algerian) and Zinedine Zidane (also of Algerian extraction) are among a number of other French stars committed to a religious path. The cultural melting pot of France’s inner cities clearly has had a profound effect on many of their top talents.
Anelka concluded: “I listen in order to understand and learn, just like Roberto Baggio on Buddhism.”
Ah yes, the Divine Ponytail, Signor Baggio himself was another of this rare breed – the religious footballer. In deeply Catholic Italy, the Azzurri star stood out not only for his innate footballing talents, but also for his closely-held Buddhist beliefs. Baggio ‘found’ his religious calling during the late 80s, while enduring an injury nightmare at his first major club Fiorentina. The opening line of his autobiography reads: “Life is an endless cycle for those who believe in reincarnation.” Such a philosophy can only have helped nurse the great no.10 through is USA ’94 penalty heartache and enabled him to maintain his career, as he did at Brescia, well into his late 30s.
Just this year, highly-rated Fiorentina ‘keeper Sebastien Frey cited Baggio’s influence in his adoption of the Buddhist faith: “Roby Baggio helped me discover Buddhism and it aided me a lot, therefore I keep practicing this religion, as it makes me feel much better.”
Frey, as with Baggio, turned to religion when suffering his darkest hour – facing up to the prospect of serious injury bringing an untimely end to his career. So, it seems, the serenity engendered by subscription to a system of faith can sometimes play a vital role in a footballer’s long-term recovery – psychologically, at least.
Individual choice aside, it’s indisputable that religion pervades the global game.
Quite obviously, in many Middle Eastern and North African countries, Islamic life is inextricably entwined with football – diet, training and fixtures are all arranged around the call to prayer and duties such as adherence to fasting during Ramadan. In the Ivory Coast, the raw divide between Christian and Muslim factions – during the recent civil war – was soothed, albeit temporarily, by the united stars of their stirring 2006 World Cup campaign.
It’s not all positive though. In Glasgow, putrid bigotry unconvincingly poses as a religious divide between Celtic and Rangers supporters. In Bosnia, the newly-integrated Muslim/Croat/Serb league faces violent riots between warring fans on a habitual basis. In football, as in all walks of life, mindless morons are determinedly keen on using religion as tool for ill deeds.
To concentrate on the brighter side though, in this season of goodwill, committed Christian footballers – including characters as diverse as Linvoy Primus, Jermain Defoe and regular wearer of an ‘I Belong to Jesus’ t-shirt, Kaká – will each take time out this week to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Ex-Chelsea midfielder and erstwhile Beeb pundit Gavin Peacock will be quietly celebrating in the Canadian seminary where he now studies Divinity and Theology. Meanwhile, Wayne and Colleen Rooney will be holding a contemplative prayer meeting for assorted WAGs (and hubbies) in their ultra-lavish Cheshire mansion...well it could happen, right?
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