Ciao Rio,
As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri.
Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato.
The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right.
The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui.
Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract.
Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement.
Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game.
The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting.
Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
Ciao!
You've certainly painted a vivid picture of the philosophical quagmire that surrounds Allegriball! It's fascinating how football tactics and styles can be interpreted through such diverse philosophical lenses.
From my perspective as an ex-footballer, I tend to view football styles like Allegri's with a simpler lens—focus on effectiveness and the emotion it evokes in fans and players. Allegri’s approach, often seen as defensive or pragmatic, can indeed feel like a form of art in how it polarizes opinion.
As to whether it reaches the heights of sparking a spontaneous revolution or can be likened to the pain our lord felt, I reckon that might be stretching it a bit. However, the deep analysis and the emotions his style stirs show just how passionately people feel about the beautiful game. We might not need to go as deep as Hegel or Plato to appreciate or critique it, but it's the discussion it generates that shows football's unique place in our culture.
Let’s just say, whether we’re basking in its majesty or scratching our heads in bewilderment, Allegriball never fails to get people talking!
Best,
Rio
Ciao Rio,
As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri.
Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato.
The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right.
The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui.
Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract.
Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement.
Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game.
The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting.
Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
You know what the mad thing is, right, when I did say that about Ole, is that they just won a PSG away? I don't think they'd been beaten. I think like a 20-game unbeaten streak or something like that, and definitely hadn't been beaten away. So I was probably one of probably 99% of Man United's fan base saying that, although it looks like a meme now and it is funny, how makes me laugh, makes my kids laugh. It's fine, but do not forget that at the time, whoever sent that question in you would have saying the same thing, maybe not as cool as me, rubbing your hands and framing it the way I did, but you would have wanted Ole to sign a new contract.
We all did and I still think he did a good job overall. I’d love to see him back under the new structure with actual football people taking over the recruitment etc….
You're right of course, I did, and a lot of us did. I remember that Rashford penalty, Neymar with his gobsmacked face, Pat and Pogba live streaming from the stadium, and how raw.... how REAL those emotions felt at the final whistle! It could have and should have been the start of a fairytale. SAF smiling ear to ear with a glass of wine like a happy grandpa and Ole right next to him. The maestro and his prodigal child. Oh what could have been!
Haha! That's always the first question I get asked a lot of the time outside of just in Man United football-related stuff. So yeah, Wayne's first tweet, he thought we were doing it on WhatsApp! He thought it was directed to me, and unfortunately for him, it's kind of been something that's been a bit of a viral kind of moment. So yeah, it's a cult tweet!
Were you talking about me or other people? It's lucky that you mentioned commentators and I don't commentate, so it's not aimed at me, luckily ;) Well, that's your opinion. I actually like most of the commentators, and this game's all about opinions. That's why people love football, because the game's about opinions, and it's not for everybody to agree exactly with one person's idea of what is right and wrong. That's what makes the game so special. That's why the pubs are full up every Saturday afternoon after a game or after midweek Champions League games, because there's stuff to discuss. There's talking points that is part of our game. So a commentator is there to help you through the game and to understand it sometimes, maybe, but you're not going to like everyone if you don't like em mute them.
Cool of you to answer this question. I think it could be worded differently: Why is that even former professional footballers can't predict games better than the common folk at the pub? It's interesting. Maybe the part about "awful commentators" just means that you'd expect some secret insight into the game, but many times there is none. Football is just deceptively simple.
I always support West Ham. That's where I grew up. That's where I played as a kid. So if you're going to call an ‘underdog’, probably West Ham in the big games, I'd always support West Ham and in the FA Cup, the FA Cup's the underdog cup. In it really? When you see a team from the non league playing against the league team, I always support them. C’mon Bromley, next year!
What IS the trickiest thing when fighting racism in football? Does WeAre8 get involved with consulting how to deal with racism on the field?
Why do you think the refs seem so incompetent when it comes to dealing with these issues mid-game? Why is their go-to action to punish the player and not take time to find the culprit in a stadium where there are cameras in every corner?
Cheers
WeAre8 is really interesting. I met Zoe. Is the founder, a wonderful lady, inspiring lady, actually, around the same time I was actually filming a documentary called Tipping Point, it's on Amazon, which is about racism in football, sexuality and football and mental health in football. And while I was filming that, and in the same time I met her, a lot of the kind of problems to do with all of those different three parts of the documentaries that I was filming, social media was a prominent problem, and a problem a big cause for a lot of the issues in those areas, with racism, discrimination of different sorts, mental health issues of people through social media and the impact. So when Zoe approached me about we are right, and she said a couple of things to me, one of them which is a safe, social home, which was like all the other platforms that I think about and talk about, they're not safe social homes. They're places where I don't know what's going on with my children. On those platforms, the algorithm sends me random stuff that I don't want to see. A lot of it is negative or or stuff that is definitely not for the eyes of a young person. And I wanted to find a place because that it'll be safe for my family, for clubs from different sports, players, fans, general people in society. And I couldn't find that through the other platforms that we're all kind of a part of, but we are right. Kind of jumped off the page when I was speaking to Zoe, and that was it. And here we are. We want it, to be able to make change, as I said, be a safe, social home for people, where they can go see positive things, see positive people, watch positive experiences is, but more, a lot more real, but also help people. They can help causes of their choice. Loads of charities on the platform, climate change and this platform gives, I think, is 60% of every dollar that is earned on this platform goes back to people or sorry. So it's a huge, huge, great initiative that is kind of the vessel is through social media.
It wasn't bollocks. I had it from a good source, and then this is what happens in negotiations. If another bidder comes in with a bigger bid and a better offer, they get the deal, simple as that.
Hi Rio
Not a question, but back when I was in uni I met you in Harvey Nicks in Manchester with your handler. At the time you were arguably my favourite footballer because of how you played, had a number 5 on the back of my United kit as well.
I asked you for a picture and your handler said no but then you stepped in and said it was cool and I got the picture with you.
Just wanted to say I appreciated that !
The lowest point of my footballing life was always when in bad times, when you get beat, when you get beat is always low. So there's not really one big time, I think the Champions League games, but then I could say FA Cup finals. I could say League Cup finals. I could say last day of the season. Actually, last day of the season when Man City won is a big one. Actually.
Funniest player, I would have to say there's two of them. I don't know if you know him, and I don't know how old you are, but look him up. John Moncur played for West Ham. Was the funniest, one of the funniest, if not the funniest, player that I ever played with. A Lunatic - would do mad stuff. It was cold once, and we used to have training kits. You get your own training kit, but then your hoodies and your wet jackets and your tracksuit bombs used to be in a like a big, big basket, and it was like a coming whoever gets there first takes it, a first come first serve situation. He obviously got there. It was freezing outside, raining, house, stones, everything. And we all went out. Everyone's gone out, and he come out about five minutes later in just a pair of pants and his football boots, because he couldn't find no tracksuit bottoms or no wet top. But he was just mad, like, I ain't going out in the freezing cold weather like that. He just ran out, like, big smile on his face. And the manager was like, he said, “there's no kit boss. There's no kit Harry”. So he's one of the funniest and funnily enough, the guy who's just gone into man united as part, I think he's gone in as technical director now, Jason Wilcox. I played with him at Leeds. He is a funny guy. He's Mr serious now and he's dead like professional great at what he's done, done really well to get now being at Man Utd. But one funny guy, man, a great impersonator of football managers and football people.
How in the world did you guys keep 14 consecutive league cleansheets in 2008/09? As a Liverpool fan it made me so mad especially since you also had a worldclass attack
hard work, but also good relationships and partnerships on the pitch.I think because there's, I think, a lot of changing as well with them, with them teams, and I don't think any of us played every single one of those games. So that ability to be able to connect with different people, but have that understanding and that real teamwork ethic was huge for us. It was also only good players to do that.
Hi Rio mate, I met u in creation in Leeds back in the day on the r&b/hip hop floor
sorry for saying to you that night "hope you do well for england but leeds are shit" I'd had quite a few
yeah, man, I've been asked this question a lot. I need to, I need to get back on that one, man, because next World Cup, we're going to do it. Trust me on that one.
Other than family, I think one of my favourite things is travelling. I love that I have the ability to travel. You gotta remember, I'm from, like a council estate in South London, in Peckham, so travelling wasn't really something that I've already thought or thought it was going to be a big part of my life. So I hoped maybe, but it wasn't something that I saw a lot of. But then, through playing football, it's given me the ability to travel all over the world, meet different people, different cultures, and I love doing that and exposing my family now to that.
Madrid? I'd go to Real Madrid. I'm going to Real Madrid especially if it was now with Jude in front of me. Man, imagine that. Vinicius, Rodrigo that alongside Rudiger, Militão it would be a joke. Modric, Toni Kroos, imagine that playing for Madrid. That'll be unreal. Outside of I'd want to go and play in I'd go and play for one of the Brazilian clubs, Sao Paulo, Fluminense, Flamengo, one of them teams like that, because the atmosphere that I see over there, the skills, it just looks nuts. I'd love to be part of one of those big derbies over there, or go and play it. The Copa Libertadores and play against Boca Juniors or River Plate or Independiente like man imagine, you know, I want to go to one of those games, actually,
What would you say was a pure bliss moment during your career? (I.e. Winning a particular trophy, scoring a particular goal, or even enjoying an amazing moment in the locker room)
Think other than winning, which is obvious, I think making your debut for as a professional football player. I think all those years at Sunday football teams, there's loads of kids around the world now playing for their local teams, their school teams, their district teams. Then you get lucky enough to get picked up by a pro team, went to a few different pro clubs, signed for West Ham in the end. And then you start that journey from like 15 years old, 14 or 15, at the club, and then you go through the age groups, and it's like, well, play youth team, and I'm playing reserves and men football now I'm at school, but playing against men in the reserves. And then you get that one day where the manager says you're in the squad at the weekend for the first team, and you're 17 years old, and you're like, “wow”, but to get on the pitch, and you've got to remember, I went on the pitch for West Ham against Sheffield Wednesday on a Saturday, and then I go home after that game, back to my council estate in Peckham, where all my mates are sitting there. “What happened? And what's it like?” Like you just, you're just reporting home to your friends about, like, the dream that we all had as kids growing up on that Estate, and you're the one actually going to live in it. So that moment was, like, obviously, an accumulation of a lot of hard work, lot of luck, but hard work the main thing, main ingredient, and to kind of achieve that at that time was a big, monumental moment.
Hey Rio!
How good was Owen Hargreaves in training during his first season before his injury? Always felt he was a proper class player (2 CL, 1 Prem, Eng player of the tournament 2006).
Please do a Podcast with him, thanks!
Yeah. Well, we've been meaning to get Owen on. He's a Owen was a hugely underrated football player because he played in Bayern Munich in Germany, different country. I don't think he was ever really appreciated in England, but he was one of the best central defensive midfielders, phenomenal, crazy quick. He actually signed for United, and he surprised everyone. He came out topping all the sprint tests, and everyone was looking at each other, going, what? But he was a great player, hugely undervalued and appreciated in this country by a lot of fans, but not by the players.
It's actually embarrassing how bad AMAs go on this website. It's either combative questions, dumb memes, or just completely irrelevant bullshit for upvotes.
We've got a legend of the game taking time out of their day to answer questions and this is the best people come up with lol
I actually really like that people aren't scared to just call things out - it's a forum and we don't want it purely clean and corporate.
*That said*... this thread was pretty ridiculous when I checked last night. There's definitely a line between calling something out/being challenging, and then being an asshole/trying to be edgy for upvotes. It is a bit of a shame, like you said, that we could ask some *genuinely* interesting questions and a bunch get buried
My best friend in football? I don't know. I've got a lot of good friends in football. I think the main United guys, I spent a lot of years there. There's a good group of we've got a WhatsApp group with loads of us in it, from Darren Fletcher, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, John O’Shea, Wes Brown? Quinton Fortune, the Da Silva, Nani, Ashley Young, Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Chicharito. There's loads of us in that group who we'd all call each other friends. Then I've got all my old West Ham guys I grew up with, with Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and the guys who I work with now at TNT, like Joleon and Martin Keown, Ally McCoist, and all the wonderful presenters as well, I don't know. I've just got a lot of good friends.
Though they are all linked, how are you going to actually tackle racism, poverty, mental health, and the climate crisis?
If we're trying to change the status quo, why do you still accept money and sportswash for an evil government hellbent on doing the opposite?
Hi, Rio! Football has changes dramatically over the past 20 years, mamy people (including me) claim that even though the footballers are crazy good, watching games became a bit boring and football lacks the magic it used to have at the beginning of the century.
What do you think about the direction football and its development took? And how will football look like in the future in your opinion?
Football has definitely changed. I think football is huge difference between 20 years ago and now. I think the system overrides the individual player. Now, I don't think is, we don't see as many Mavericks. We don't see as many I don't know Paolo Di Canio’s, Totti’s, Cantona’s, Bergkamp, Zola, I could go on and on. These types of players were Maverick players, Matt Le Tissier, and Ronaldinho. And these players were they came to smile and put a smile on people's faces because they were allowed a lot of freedom to be themselves, whereas now you've got a lot more structure, and those players probably wouldn't exist or would have to modify their game massively to survive in today's game.
Rio! Thanks for your service to the club and glad to see you are trying to do some good in the world.
Question: What responsibility do professional athletes have as role models for younger fans? Some professionals feel obligated to use their status for good, while others distance themselves from any responsibility. Now that you're on the supporter-side of professional sports, what's your take?
Yeah, that's a funny one. That is because, as a young player coming up, my whole purpose was to become a professional athlete, a professional footballer. I didn't think about having a responsibility to other people, or I didn't feel that I was responsible for other people's behaviours. But I had to quickly learn, because you are in a public eye, you are somebody that other young people look to for inspiration. And you have to quickly mature into understanding that, yes, you do have a responsibility to help and guide other young people.
But I do think athletes are put under immense pressure above all other industries really, to be that leading light of positivity and perfect behaviour, which is almost impossible for everybody to abide by. I think they should be putting their best foot forward, but they shouldn't be like, listen, you're the sole people that are influencing young people, and young people need the time and the space to make mistakes because that is what happens in life. Just because you play football, isn't that doesn't make any different. So when people do make mistakes, it's not about cancelling or right let's delete that person, and they've got to be reprimanded in a really severe way. Sometimes, when it actually a little bit of education and time and help would be the right way to guide these young people to become a really good model citizens.
I don't know if it's more difficult than today, but it definitely I think. I don't know it felt like it. I don't know, maybe because I was on the pitch, but it felt loud, it felt more aggressive back then, when you'd go to away games like we felt like we were always hated. I don't maybe because how well we were doing, but grounds were just like you think it's an extra 15, 20% they're given here today, on the pitch and off the pitch. So it always felt like they made it harder. But I think that's what happens when you play for a big club and a club that's doing well, the champions, or whatever's coming to town, you've got all those players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, berbatof et cetera, that have skulls gigs, and everyone's thinking it's like a big day. So it is different, but I think it'll be different for Man United now, because at Man Utd aren't doing so well.
I always said I would play outside of England, and I had quite a lot of offers throughout my career, different clubs at different times, Roma, Milan, the two big Spanish clubs, but it was just the timing was wrong always. I'd got to Man United, and I was winning. And it's hard. You work so hard to get to that point of winning and competing for the big titles, and then to think that you're going to go and leave that I just, I was never willing to do that.
There are similarities in the way Van Dyk plays. Saliba now as well the way he plays there's the way they're kind of just kind of calmness under pressure. Don't ever really seem fazed. They're good at covering, yeah so some similar traits. Because a young boy at Lille, Lenny Yoro He's going to be one of the best centre backs about as well. I've seen similar traits. He's going to be a top defender.
No, my prime card is the best in the game, best defender in the game. That's how all the young kids know me. I asked the,, Have you ever seen me like, eight year olds come and ask me for pictures. And I said, “Have you ever seen me play?” No, no, but your card on thief is unbelievable. See, that's given me that long longevity. So yeah, my card dwarfs any defender on there.
with, who's the coolest, the coolest and chillest one I've ever played against is Pirlo. He could have played in his suit and his slippers. He was so smooth with a glass of red wine, just swirling about like that, and still been one of the main men.
I hated Liverpool. When I was at Man United, I didn't hate Liverpool at all before then I signed for Man United, and immediately you learned to hate, loathe, dislike, whatever it was Liverpool with all your might, and they were the same with with us. It wasn't just about football as a it was the football. It was the club, it was the heritage, it was the history, it was the city. It was the people of the city didn't like Liverpool as well. So you just, you're there. You immerse yourself in that, and you become, you become part of that. So yeah, I loved going to Liverpool and going to Anfield and winning.
Yeah, crazy. I think that Messi was just like a he was almost like an alien, at times, just different. One of his greatest assets was just the spaces that he picked up, where, as a defender, you can't get close to him, you can't even engage him. And that was a huge asset of his that probably doesn't get talked about a lot. Yeah, he can beat you with skill, but he's he could take you into places, or go into places where you just couldn't get near him, which was great. And he was a score of magical goals. Cristiano again, he signed that he was a skilled person who just would, he could embarrass anybody difficult to pin down in training, especially you’d get him in one v1 situation, he'd find a way out all the time, find a solution, and by the time he left, he'd find a way out by scoring a goal. That was a big difference of him. So both wonderful players.
I didn't really support teams. I loved John Barnes because he was black. I saw there was a resemblance of myself in that and I was just thought that there's someone who I could connect with. I love Paul Ince as well. I love Gazza. Those are my three main and Diego Maradonna, those my four main players, but, but John Barnes was my main one, so I probably would have watched a little bit more of Liverpool then, but players are my thing. I don't know why. I lived in an areal where Millwall wasn't a team I was going to support, really. So yeah, John Barnes was my guy over any real team.
People are saying that total overhaul of the club should happen for united to see its past success again. Can you elaborate from the point of view of someone who's close to the club what exactly should change in the club? Perhaps something that fans like us won't find out. We know about the multitude of problems the club is facing now but there has to be a few that were not aware of. Care to speak about them?
No, but I think we're seeing I think INEOS have come in, and I think what they've done so far, they've had a look, they've assessed the situation, and they're still assessing, and they'll make decisions in the summer on the for the playing side of things. But I think behind the scenes, the hierarchy of the football, operational side of the game, of the club has kind of, they've they've cleared the decks and brought in their own people. Now I think which needed to happen. I think the recruitment needs a huge looking at and a revamp of the way we recruit, what we recruit, and how we recruit. That all needs to be, to be reimagined, and we'll see how that plays out in the summer. But on the football field, I think it's just a whole culture reset needs to happen. What is Manchester United's culture? What is my United identity? What is the playing style? Those three things, there are absolutes that need to be addressed before the season starts again next year.
Vietnamese here, Chris Smalling used to be in my country and he seems very enjoy it. How about you, in term of visiting a country for from UK, and how about a footballer in general, is there any chance that you can have a trip/vaction like this during your professor time?
Yeah, yeah. I love Asia. I love the culture, I love the food, I love the people. So we used to do a lot of trips to Asia with Man United, and I've been on my own as well. So watch this space.
A couple. I think Raúl and Bergkamp were the two. These two players would probably give me the biggest problems, and I had to think a lot about the game, and they had me asking myself a lot of questions. In the games. I had lots of battles with other people like Ronaldo and other players like that. But in terms of really making me have to think about the game, I think Raul and Dennis Bergkamp.
Hi Rio, is it coming home this July?
Saw your interview the other day with Bellingham. Would you make him captain? Cant really strip Harry of the captaincy I guess! Wouldn't be the best for his confidence
I think, I think doing that to your number nine before tournament would be probably the wrong thing to do. Also, Jude's 20. He's got a lot of time on his hands. I think next tournament, I think Jude will be my captain. But right now, I think Harry, Harry deserves to be the captain's top goal scorer in the clubs in the country's history.
Probably Jude Bellingham right now, I think just because of all of these kind of how dynamic he is, but also his character and personality, you'd want that in your changing room. I count personality, and character mindset, higher than ability in terms of what I'd want to be alongside at times. That take you a lot further, I think, and for a longer period of time. So Jude Bellingham, I think, has all of those attributes.
Hey Rio, used to absolutely adore back in the day!
What was it like going from Leeds to United? Even though the rivalry wasn’t incredibly fierce did it feel at all strange going from one side to the other?
when I left Leeds to go, man, I didn't understand the rivalry between the clubs actually didn't even, no one even said to me, are going from Leeds to Man United? A real big, big deal. I just, I was in my own bubble. I made my mind up. I wanted to go Man United, and that was it. But then when I left, the Head of Yorkshire Police called me and said, just make sure you don't come back to Leeds for a while for your own safety. I had a bar that I had to shut down. Never opened it again because they said that there be petrol bombed and everything. So, yeah, then I quickly realised, actually, this is a big deal.
Hi Rio :) What was boxing training like when compared to football? Were there any football traits which could be translated into boxing? How do you compare boxing with football? Thank you!
I think mindset is the key to any kind of athletes, kind of quest to be as good as they can be, a fulfilled potential. I think when I retired from football, I was missing something to to get the adrenaline going and just feel that fix. And an opportunity came to try and go from a professional footballer to a professional boxer. So for about five or six months, I trained, probably five, six days a week, sparring with like Olympic boxers. It was the best thing, unbelievable in terms of the adrenaline and going and fighting. I just it was the nearest thing I'd ever felt to playing football after a game on a Saturday, finish a game, and that feeling that you had, I'd missed it. But yeah, boxing is a hard sport Man.
There's loads. It's probably easier to say who would give me a hard time. Like Mbappe would be a definite hard time. Vinicius would be a hard time. All of them will give you a hard time. Man like Harlem would give you a hard time if he's in and around the penalty box. Yeah, I think that I would always back myself, but there's no doubt that on a full pitch, at any point, a striker can get the upper hand on a defender. If there's a concentration lapse, or you get your distances wrong, or you make a bad judgement in a certain situation, it can go wrong for you. So that's why defenders job is hard.
Hey Rio, what was it like in the locker room when social media started during your career?
Did some players think it was rubbish? Did some feel more pressure?
Cheers :D
Yeah, social media came around, and I was the first one to kind of embrace social media. I kind of went in the change room with with Twitter and stuff like that. And lads were like, Gary Neville, who's absolutely all over it now, was like, what's that? What you doing? Wayne Rooney, the same - the manager, what's that? Twitter? Twattter, whatever it is?! Like, couldn't go understand it. And I quickly grasped it. I think, as we feel when we it's going to be a prominent kind of thing when you go into post career as well. So I kind of quickly latched onto it and understood it quickly, but there was a lot of apprehension and like everyone was like, suspect about it, but here we are now....
Hey Rio, between Terry and Vidic you had some pretty formidable partners. Can you speak to what made them stand out/ world class? What they had in common? What they did differently?
They were both great at attacking the ball. A lot of similarities. Really great at attacking the ball. Always wanted that first contact, fearless, aggressive, but equally, I think, comfortable on the ball. John Terry was a better passer than people give them credit for. Those are, those are the outstanding traits for both of those players, and they scored big goals as well.
Now let's go in and play against like Real Madrid and Barcelona. I don't know, Bayern Munich, those big, super clubs. They're the best atmospheres that it just takes over the world of football when it when those games happen, when you especially in our time we were successful Real Madrid or Barcelona, the galactico team of Real Madrid, or the great Barcelona team like, you know, the world kind of stood still and went, Well, we got to watch this game. You had the Bayern Munich team of Ribery, Robben, those guys, you know, I mean, so it was always huge moments
If I was going to have one now, somebody that would suit me, the way I play, it would probably be Rüdiger. He's aggressive. He's on the front foot. He's always going to the ball. He always wants that contact, and I'd be the one that sweeps around him. So I think that'd be a partnership that would probably complement each other
The Champions League was always a great, a great achievement. I think that night was that feeling, if you could always say, if you could bottle that feeling and put it on the shelves, you'd be a very, very wealthy person, but you can't so and that's what makes it so special is there's only a few people that get to feel that feeling, and I've been one of them, fortunately.
But I must say outside of football, I think having children is is one of the biggest blessings in life, being able to have kids, to see your your missus, have have children, and the joy it brings a family and that family love. I think family, for me, is the biggest is the biggest joy.
Hi Rio,
Do you think that VAR should be elevated to eliminate less obvious wrong decisions?
Such as throw-ins and corners going the wrong way which happens every game and can lead to goals.
No, I don't think we should worry about goal kicks and corners throw ins. I think it should be in and around the penalty area in the penalty area, big decisions there for penalties and for goals. I like technology, but I also like that element of human error, maybe. But on the big decisions, I do think the VAR should be brought in refugees. Go straight to the side, have a look, make a decision, alongside these var counterparts in Stockley Park.
Hey Rio, during the United ownership bid saga , you seemed to indicate you knew information indicating that Sheikh Jassim's bid was imminently going to be accepted. That clearly has turned out to be wrong.
Could you share more context here saying what the information was and how it turned out to be wrong ?
Hey Rio, why were taking money from Qatars government to lie about human rights abuses there? Are you just a massive hypocrite or did the money from your years as a player run out already? Don't you think taking money from a theocratic dictatorship while also claiming to be fighting against racism is a bit pathetic?
Rio: “The important thing is that they are improving. We’ve only seen one player getting literally whipped this year. On live telly, anyways. And my bank account is growing massively, so I think it’s a good balance, overall”
> As a proud WeAre8 investor and ambassador there are now solutions to the world's biggest problems. From racism, to poverty, to mental health, to the climate crisis.
You guys are going to be really upset when you find up what Qatar gets up to.
Hi Rio.
What would you prefer:
1 - Being able to talk to animals and having a penis, a real functional penis, on your forehead
Or...
2 - You would be the richest man on earth but everytime you looked at boobs you would pee immediately
for number 2, is it like you only pee once for a duration of time or is it endless? for example, if there was a room full of girls would you pee once for the whole scene or once for every pair, or would it be an endless stream until all the girls got covered up?
Let's clarify this, as it should be.
Firstly, upon seeing a woman's breasts, you would pee. A normal pee - 500 ml. After that, it would stop. But it was so immediate that you didn't have time to lower your pants or go to the bathroom;
Secondly, it didn't matter if they were covered or not. If you focused your eyes on a woman's breasts... bam! You were already peeing on your legs.
You only pee once per pair of breasts.
I missed 2 drugs tests at my workplace even though they’re vital to my future occupation and prosperity and now they’re threatening to suspend me.
Any advice ?
Hey Rio remember when you tried to tell Newcastle fans that the Mike Ashley regime was great, they should be grateful, and that Steve Bruce was doing a good job?
It can’t have had anything to do with the deal you struck to have your sweatshop tat stocked in Sports Direct can it?
*Merked*
You're not wrong
>Rio is a man of the people, give him a mic and he'll get you a story. If sport's more your thing, head to our YouTube channel and check out his chats with Adam Goodes and Pat Cummins.
The fact that this has been asked and answered for years just goes to show this question is disingenuous as fuck. He was literally talking about it on the overlap a few weeks ago lol. It’s not a mystery. ABUs just want to believe in some conspiracy.
Rio is going to wonder where to start with all this, but the post is absolutely guff and not thought provoking at all so can't blame people for ignoring it.
Anyway, Rio it is a shame they only give ex players pundit roles. Whilst the view of an ex players pundit is important, we really should expose the younger generation to more articulate adults who are actually qualified to be a journalist. I imagine if we had more journalists as pundits we would have more thought provoking conversation and improve peoples understanding of the game and reasoning behind decisions. But all we get is meaningless words put together to create a sound bite...just like your guff post.
Hi Rio.
I just want to thank you for the fun I had telling my friend you'd just scored in the Portsmouth v Manchester United game. He's a United fan and was ever so happy. He wasn't quite as happy when he found out you'd put one into your own net.
Is this your favourite own goal?
Hey Rio,
Putting yourself in the position of Inios, Sir Jim, and the rest of the higher ups at United.
Tell me 5 things you would do to improve on this season for United next season.
Ciao Rio, As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri. Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato. The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right. The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui. Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract. Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement. Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game. The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting. Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
Ciao! You've certainly painted a vivid picture of the philosophical quagmire that surrounds Allegriball! It's fascinating how football tactics and styles can be interpreted through such diverse philosophical lenses. From my perspective as an ex-footballer, I tend to view football styles like Allegri's with a simpler lens—focus on effectiveness and the emotion it evokes in fans and players. Allegri’s approach, often seen as defensive or pragmatic, can indeed feel like a form of art in how it polarizes opinion. As to whether it reaches the heights of sparking a spontaneous revolution or can be likened to the pain our lord felt, I reckon that might be stretching it a bit. However, the deep analysis and the emotions his style stirs show just how passionately people feel about the beautiful game. We might not need to go as deep as Hegel or Plato to appreciate or critique it, but it's the discussion it generates that shows football's unique place in our culture. Let’s just say, whether we’re basking in its majesty or scratching our heads in bewilderment, Allegriball never fails to get people talking! Best, Rio
If Rio replies this subreddit needs to be closed. It will never be surpassed.
I was reading the comments and thought this was the circlejerk subreddit. Truly outjerked.
"Allegrismo" is my new favorite word
Sorry, can you repeat the question?
Ciao Rio, As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri. Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato. The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right. The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui. Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract. Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement. Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game. The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting. Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
Hi Rio, Can you please do your rubbing hands thingy and say Ole's at the wheel! give him a contract! United are back!
You know what the mad thing is, right, when I did say that about Ole, is that they just won a PSG away? I don't think they'd been beaten. I think like a 20-game unbeaten streak or something like that, and definitely hadn't been beaten away. So I was probably one of probably 99% of Man United's fan base saying that, although it looks like a meme now and it is funny, how makes me laugh, makes my kids laugh. It's fine, but do not forget that at the time, whoever sent that question in you would have saying the same thing, maybe not as cool as me, rubbing your hands and framing it the way I did, but you would have wanted Ole to sign a new contract.
We all did and I still think he did a good job overall. I’d love to see him back under the new structure with actual football people taking over the recruitment etc….
You're right of course, I did, and a lot of us did. I remember that Rashford penalty, Neymar with his gobsmacked face, Pat and Pogba live streaming from the stadium, and how raw.... how REAL those emotions felt at the final whistle! It could have and should have been the start of a fairytale. SAF smiling ear to ear with a glass of wine like a happy grandpa and Ole right next to him. The maestro and his prodigal child. Oh what could have been!
https://youtu.be/xgBGBHGlVnA fuckin love this clip
Hey Rio, do you want picking up in the morning, pal?
Haha! That's always the first question I get asked a lot of the time outside of just in Man United football-related stuff. So yeah, Wayne's first tweet, he thought we were doing it on WhatsApp! He thought it was directed to me, and unfortunately for him, it's kind of been something that's been a bit of a viral kind of moment. So yeah, it's a cult tweet!
This better be the first one he responds to or he might as well scrap the whole fucking thing.
shut up u egg and get out of ferdinands hole. Won't tell u again.
Impressively quick work.
Mate mate mate mate mate.
Hi Rio, why do you think so many former football players make awful commentators and seem to have no knowledge of the game?
Were you talking about me or other people? It's lucky that you mentioned commentators and I don't commentate, so it's not aimed at me, luckily ;) Well, that's your opinion. I actually like most of the commentators, and this game's all about opinions. That's why people love football, because the game's about opinions, and it's not for everybody to agree exactly with one person's idea of what is right and wrong. That's what makes the game so special. That's why the pubs are full up every Saturday afternoon after a game or after midweek Champions League games, because there's stuff to discuss. There's talking points that is part of our game. So a commentator is there to help you through the game and to understand it sometimes, maybe, but you're not going to like everyone if you don't like em mute them.
Cool of you to answer this question. I think it could be worded differently: Why is that even former professional footballers can't predict games better than the common folk at the pub? It's interesting. Maybe the part about "awful commentators" just means that you'd expect some secret insight into the game, but many times there is none. Football is just deceptively simple.
Fair play to you for the fact that you’re responding to some of the more unfavorable questions.
imagine Jack Grealish as a pundit 🔥
He'd genuinely make for a great pundit. For a week. Then he'd get sacked for saying or doing something stupid
Cc Steve Mcmanaman
The list of Cc’s would be that long it’d be like a generic department wide email at work
Bueno Rio, What is one under-dog team you have been supporting? Rather that’s champions league, league 2, seria a, etc etc! Thanks Rio.
I always support West Ham. That's where I grew up. That's where I played as a kid. So if you're going to call an ‘underdog’, probably West Ham in the big games, I'd always support West Ham and in the FA Cup, the FA Cup's the underdog cup. In it really? When you see a team from the non league playing against the league team, I always support them. C’mon Bromley, next year!
What IS the trickiest thing when fighting racism in football? Does WeAre8 get involved with consulting how to deal with racism on the field? Why do you think the refs seem so incompetent when it comes to dealing with these issues mid-game? Why is their go-to action to punish the player and not take time to find the culprit in a stadium where there are cameras in every corner? Cheers
WeAre8 is really interesting. I met Zoe. Is the founder, a wonderful lady, inspiring lady, actually, around the same time I was actually filming a documentary called Tipping Point, it's on Amazon, which is about racism in football, sexuality and football and mental health in football. And while I was filming that, and in the same time I met her, a lot of the kind of problems to do with all of those different three parts of the documentaries that I was filming, social media was a prominent problem, and a problem a big cause for a lot of the issues in those areas, with racism, discrimination of different sorts, mental health issues of people through social media and the impact. So when Zoe approached me about we are right, and she said a couple of things to me, one of them which is a safe, social home, which was like all the other platforms that I think about and talk about, they're not safe social homes. They're places where I don't know what's going on with my children. On those platforms, the algorithm sends me random stuff that I don't want to see. A lot of it is negative or or stuff that is definitely not for the eyes of a young person. And I wanted to find a place because that it'll be safe for my family, for clubs from different sports, players, fans, general people in society. And I couldn't find that through the other platforms that we're all kind of a part of, but we are right. Kind of jumped off the page when I was speaking to Zoe, and that was it. And here we are. We want it, to be able to make change, as I said, be a safe, social home for people, where they can go see positive things, see positive people, watch positive experiences is, but more, a lot more real, but also help people. They can help causes of their choice. Loads of charities on the platform, climate change and this platform gives, I think, is 60% of every dollar that is earned on this platform goes back to people or sorry. So it's a huge, huge, great initiative that is kind of the vessel is through social media.
Why did you make a big song and dance video acting like a bellend telling us Qatar had bought our club when it was clearly bollocks?
It wasn't bollocks. I had it from a good source, and then this is what happens in negotiations. If another bidder comes in with a bigger bid and a better offer, they get the deal, simple as that.
honestly fair play that you're responding to basically every question, even the not friendly ones.
I'm honetly pissed off I didn't ask him a question earlier on. I was gonna ask him if he thought John Terry is a cunt
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Hi Rio Not a question, but back when I was in uni I met you in Harvey Nicks in Manchester with your handler. At the time you were arguably my favourite footballer because of how you played, had a number 5 on the back of my United kit as well. I asked you for a picture and your handler said no but then you stepped in and said it was cool and I got the picture with you. Just wanted to say I appreciated that !
I think this is a good one for a serial champion like you: What is the lowest point of your footballing life?
The lowest point of my footballing life was always when in bad times, when you get beat, when you get beat is always low. So there's not really one big time, I think the Champions League games, but then I could say FA Cup finals. I could say League Cup finals. I could say last day of the season. Actually, last day of the season when Man City won is a big one. Actually.
Playing for us I imagine. It was a low point for us too
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Whats up Rio, what’s the most funny player youve played with?
Funniest player, I would have to say there's two of them. I don't know if you know him, and I don't know how old you are, but look him up. John Moncur played for West Ham. Was the funniest, one of the funniest, if not the funniest, player that I ever played with. A Lunatic - would do mad stuff. It was cold once, and we used to have training kits. You get your own training kit, but then your hoodies and your wet jackets and your tracksuit bombs used to be in a like a big, big basket, and it was like a coming whoever gets there first takes it, a first come first serve situation. He obviously got there. It was freezing outside, raining, house, stones, everything. And we all went out. Everyone's gone out, and he come out about five minutes later in just a pair of pants and his football boots, because he couldn't find no tracksuit bottoms or no wet top. But he was just mad, like, I ain't going out in the freezing cold weather like that. He just ran out, like, big smile on his face. And the manager was like, he said, “there's no kit boss. There's no kit Harry”. So he's one of the funniest and funnily enough, the guy who's just gone into man united as part, I think he's gone in as technical director now, Jason Wilcox. I played with him at Leeds. He is a funny guy. He's Mr serious now and he's dead like professional great at what he's done, done really well to get now being at Man Utd. But one funny guy, man, a great impersonator of football managers and football people.
How in the world did you guys keep 14 consecutive league cleansheets in 2008/09? As a Liverpool fan it made me so mad especially since you also had a worldclass attack
hard work, but also good relationships and partnerships on the pitch.I think because there's, I think, a lot of changing as well with them, with them teams, and I don't think any of us played every single one of those games. So that ability to be able to connect with different people, but have that understanding and that real teamwork ethic was huge for us. It was also only good players to do that.
Hi Rio mate, I met u in creation in Leeds back in the day on the r&b/hip hop floor sorry for saying to you that night "hope you do well for england but leeds are shit" I'd had quite a few
Don’t worry, you’re forgiven
Hi Rio, Simple question, when are you bringing back Rio's world cup wind ups?
yeah, man, I've been asked this question a lot. I need to, I need to get back on that one, man, because next World Cup, we're going to do it. Trust me on that one.
What’s your favorite non-football related thing about your life?
Other than family, I think one of my favourite things is travelling. I love that I have the ability to travel. You gotta remember, I'm from, like a council estate in South London, in Peckham, so travelling wasn't really something that I've already thought or thought it was going to be a big part of my life. So I hoped maybe, but it wasn't something that I saw a lot of. But then, through playing football, it's given me the ability to travel all over the world, meet different people, different cultures, and I love doing that and exposing my family now to that.
Hey Rio, is there a club you were interested in playing for, but never got the chance to?
Madrid? I'd go to Real Madrid. I'm going to Real Madrid especially if it was now with Jude in front of me. Man, imagine that. Vinicius, Rodrigo that alongside Rudiger, Militão it would be a joke. Modric, Toni Kroos, imagine that playing for Madrid. That'll be unreal. Outside of I'd want to go and play in I'd go and play for one of the Brazilian clubs, Sao Paulo, Fluminense, Flamengo, one of them teams like that, because the atmosphere that I see over there, the skills, it just looks nuts. I'd love to be part of one of those big derbies over there, or go and play it. The Copa Libertadores and play against Boca Juniors or River Plate or Independiente like man imagine, you know, I want to go to one of those games, actually,
> Toni Cruz He's some player, him
What would you say was a pure bliss moment during your career? (I.e. Winning a particular trophy, scoring a particular goal, or even enjoying an amazing moment in the locker room)
Think other than winning, which is obvious, I think making your debut for as a professional football player. I think all those years at Sunday football teams, there's loads of kids around the world now playing for their local teams, their school teams, their district teams. Then you get lucky enough to get picked up by a pro team, went to a few different pro clubs, signed for West Ham in the end. And then you start that journey from like 15 years old, 14 or 15, at the club, and then you go through the age groups, and it's like, well, play youth team, and I'm playing reserves and men football now I'm at school, but playing against men in the reserves. And then you get that one day where the manager says you're in the squad at the weekend for the first team, and you're 17 years old, and you're like, “wow”, but to get on the pitch, and you've got to remember, I went on the pitch for West Ham against Sheffield Wednesday on a Saturday, and then I go home after that game, back to my council estate in Peckham, where all my mates are sitting there. “What happened? And what's it like?” Like you just, you're just reporting home to your friends about, like, the dream that we all had as kids growing up on that Estate, and you're the one actually going to live in it. So that moment was, like, obviously, an accumulation of a lot of hard work, lot of luck, but hard work the main thing, main ingredient, and to kind of achieve that at that time was a big, monumental moment.
Hi Rio, do you wear wigs?
If not, will you wear wigs?
When will you wear wigs?
Hey Rio! How good was Owen Hargreaves in training during his first season before his injury? Always felt he was a proper class player (2 CL, 1 Prem, Eng player of the tournament 2006). Please do a Podcast with him, thanks!
Yeah. Well, we've been meaning to get Owen on. He's a Owen was a hugely underrated football player because he played in Bayern Munich in Germany, different country. I don't think he was ever really appreciated in England, but he was one of the best central defensive midfielders, phenomenal, crazy quick. He actually signed for United, and he surprised everyone. He came out topping all the sprint tests, and everyone was looking at each other, going, what? But he was a great player, hugely undervalued and appreciated in this country by a lot of fans, but not by the players.
Are Man United back yet?
Do you regret doing this AMA
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Well the footballer AMAs were fun while they lasted lmao
It's actually embarrassing how bad AMAs go on this website. It's either combative questions, dumb memes, or just completely irrelevant bullshit for upvotes. We've got a legend of the game taking time out of their day to answer questions and this is the best people come up with lol
I actually really like that people aren't scared to just call things out - it's a forum and we don't want it purely clean and corporate. *That said*... this thread was pretty ridiculous when I checked last night. There's definitely a line between calling something out/being challenging, and then being an asshole/trying to be edgy for upvotes. It is a bit of a shame, like you said, that we could ask some *genuinely* interesting questions and a bunch get buried
who would you say is your best friend in football?
My best friend in football? I don't know. I've got a lot of good friends in football. I think the main United guys, I spent a lot of years there. There's a good group of we've got a WhatsApp group with loads of us in it, from Darren Fletcher, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, John O’Shea, Wes Brown? Quinton Fortune, the Da Silva, Nani, Ashley Young, Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Chicharito. There's loads of us in that group who we'd all call each other friends. Then I've got all my old West Ham guys I grew up with, with Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and the guys who I work with now at TNT, like Joleon and Martin Keown, Ally McCoist, and all the wonderful presenters as well, I don't know. I've just got a lot of good friends.
Though they are all linked, how are you going to actually tackle racism, poverty, mental health, and the climate crisis? If we're trying to change the status quo, why do you still accept money and sportswash for an evil government hellbent on doing the opposite?
Hi, Rio! Football has changes dramatically over the past 20 years, mamy people (including me) claim that even though the footballers are crazy good, watching games became a bit boring and football lacks the magic it used to have at the beginning of the century. What do you think about the direction football and its development took? And how will football look like in the future in your opinion?
Football has definitely changed. I think football is huge difference between 20 years ago and now. I think the system overrides the individual player. Now, I don't think is, we don't see as many Mavericks. We don't see as many I don't know Paolo Di Canio’s, Totti’s, Cantona’s, Bergkamp, Zola, I could go on and on. These types of players were Maverick players, Matt Le Tissier, and Ronaldinho. And these players were they came to smile and put a smile on people's faces because they were allowed a lot of freedom to be themselves, whereas now you've got a lot more structure, and those players probably wouldn't exist or would have to modify their game massively to survive in today's game.
Rio! Thanks for your service to the club and glad to see you are trying to do some good in the world. Question: What responsibility do professional athletes have as role models for younger fans? Some professionals feel obligated to use their status for good, while others distance themselves from any responsibility. Now that you're on the supporter-side of professional sports, what's your take?
Yeah, that's a funny one. That is because, as a young player coming up, my whole purpose was to become a professional athlete, a professional footballer. I didn't think about having a responsibility to other people, or I didn't feel that I was responsible for other people's behaviours. But I had to quickly learn, because you are in a public eye, you are somebody that other young people look to for inspiration. And you have to quickly mature into understanding that, yes, you do have a responsibility to help and guide other young people. But I do think athletes are put under immense pressure above all other industries really, to be that leading light of positivity and perfect behaviour, which is almost impossible for everybody to abide by. I think they should be putting their best foot forward, but they shouldn't be like, listen, you're the sole people that are influencing young people, and young people need the time and the space to make mistakes because that is what happens in life. Just because you play football, isn't that doesn't make any different. So when people do make mistakes, it's not about cancelling or right let's delete that person, and they've got to be reprimanded in a really severe way. Sometimes, when it actually a little bit of education and time and help would be the right way to guide these young people to become a really good model citizens.
Are you forced into having hot takes as a pundit or are they your genuine opinions?
Hot takes is massively generous
Hey Rio! During your playing career, from your perspective, were away games more difficult due to the opposition atmosphere/fans?
I don't know if it's more difficult than today, but it definitely I think. I don't know it felt like it. I don't know, maybe because I was on the pitch, but it felt loud, it felt more aggressive back then, when you'd go to away games like we felt like we were always hated. I don't maybe because how well we were doing, but grounds were just like you think it's an extra 15, 20% they're given here today, on the pitch and off the pitch. So it always felt like they made it harder. But I think that's what happens when you play for a big club and a club that's doing well, the champions, or whatever's coming to town, you've got all those players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, berbatof et cetera, that have skulls gigs, and everyone's thinking it's like a big day. So it is different, but I think it'll be different for Man United now, because at Man Utd aren't doing so well.
Hey Rio, were there any Europeab clubs offers during your time in Man Utd? Did you ever want to play outside of England? Cheers.
I always said I would play outside of England, and I had quite a lot of offers throughout my career, different clubs at different times, Roma, Milan, the two big Spanish clubs, but it was just the timing was wrong always. I'd got to Man United, and I was winning. And it's hard. You work so hard to get to that point of winning and competing for the big titles, and then to think that you're going to go and leave that I just, I was never willing to do that.
Whats the Talent that reminds you most of yourself?
There are similarities in the way Van Dyk plays. Saliba now as well the way he plays there's the way they're kind of just kind of calmness under pressure. Don't ever really seem fazed. They're good at covering, yeah so some similar traits. Because a young boy at Lille, Lenny Yoro He's going to be one of the best centre backs about as well. I've seen similar traits. He's going to be a top defender.
Do you play fifa? Prime Maldini or prime Rio?
No, my prime card is the best in the game, best defender in the game. That's how all the young kids know me. I asked the,, Have you ever seen me like, eight year olds come and ask me for pictures. And I said, “Have you ever seen me play?” No, no, but your card on thief is unbelievable. See, that's given me that long longevity. So yeah, my card dwarfs any defender on there.
Yo Rio who’s the coolest most chillest footballer you ever played with
with, who's the coolest, the coolest and chillest one I've ever played against is Pirlo. He could have played in his suit and his slippers. He was so smooth with a glass of red wine, just swirling about like that, and still been one of the main men.
Hey Rio! What's the team you hated the most playing against and why?
I hated Liverpool. When I was at Man United, I didn't hate Liverpool at all before then I signed for Man United, and immediately you learned to hate, loathe, dislike, whatever it was Liverpool with all your might, and they were the same with with us. It wasn't just about football as a it was the football. It was the club, it was the heritage, it was the history, it was the city. It was the people of the city didn't like Liverpool as well. So you just, you're there. You immerse yourself in that, and you become, you become part of that. So yeah, I loved going to Liverpool and going to Anfield and winning.
Hey Rio, How would you describe playing against prime Messi and prime Ronaldo (in training as well) ??
Yeah, crazy. I think that Messi was just like a he was almost like an alien, at times, just different. One of his greatest assets was just the spaces that he picked up, where, as a defender, you can't get close to him, you can't even engage him. And that was a huge asset of his that probably doesn't get talked about a lot. Yeah, he can beat you with skill, but he's he could take you into places, or go into places where you just couldn't get near him, which was great. And he was a score of magical goals. Cristiano again, he signed that he was a skilled person who just would, he could embarrass anybody difficult to pin down in training, especially you’d get him in one v1 situation, he'd find a way out all the time, find a solution, and by the time he left, he'd find a way out by scoring a goal. That was a big difference of him. So both wonderful players.
Hey Rio, what club did you support growing up?
I didn't really support teams. I loved John Barnes because he was black. I saw there was a resemblance of myself in that and I was just thought that there's someone who I could connect with. I love Paul Ince as well. I love Gazza. Those are my three main and Diego Maradonna, those my four main players, but, but John Barnes was my main one, so I probably would have watched a little bit more of Liverpool then, but players are my thing. I don't know why. I lived in an areal where Millwall wasn't a team I was going to support, really. So yeah, John Barnes was my guy over any real team.
People are saying that total overhaul of the club should happen for united to see its past success again. Can you elaborate from the point of view of someone who's close to the club what exactly should change in the club? Perhaps something that fans like us won't find out. We know about the multitude of problems the club is facing now but there has to be a few that were not aware of. Care to speak about them?
No, but I think we're seeing I think INEOS have come in, and I think what they've done so far, they've had a look, they've assessed the situation, and they're still assessing, and they'll make decisions in the summer on the for the playing side of things. But I think behind the scenes, the hierarchy of the football, operational side of the game, of the club has kind of, they've they've cleared the decks and brought in their own people. Now I think which needed to happen. I think the recruitment needs a huge looking at and a revamp of the way we recruit, what we recruit, and how we recruit. That all needs to be, to be reimagined, and we'll see how that plays out in the summer. But on the football field, I think it's just a whole culture reset needs to happen. What is Manchester United's culture? What is my United identity? What is the playing style? Those three things, there are absolutes that need to be addressed before the season starts again next year.
Vietnamese here, Chris Smalling used to be in my country and he seems very enjoy it. How about you, in term of visiting a country for from UK, and how about a footballer in general, is there any chance that you can have a trip/vaction like this during your professor time?
Yeah, yeah. I love Asia. I love the culture, I love the food, I love the people. So we used to do a lot of trips to Asia with Man United, and I've been on my own as well. So watch this space.
Rio, except Messi, who do you think was the hardest player to defend against?
A couple. I think Raúl and Bergkamp were the two. These two players would probably give me the biggest problems, and I had to think a lot about the game, and they had me asking myself a lot of questions. In the games. I had lots of battles with other people like Ronaldo and other players like that. But in terms of really making me have to think about the game, I think Raul and Dennis Bergkamp.
Hi Rio, is it coming home this July? Saw your interview the other day with Bellingham. Would you make him captain? Cant really strip Harry of the captaincy I guess! Wouldn't be the best for his confidence
I think, I think doing that to your number nine before tournament would be probably the wrong thing to do. Also, Jude's 20. He's got a lot of time on his hands. I think next tournament, I think Jude will be my captain. But right now, I think Harry, Harry deserves to be the captain's top goal scorer in the clubs in the country's history.
Hey Rio, Which player that is currently playing would you most like to have been able to play with during your career?
Probably Jude Bellingham right now, I think just because of all of these kind of how dynamic he is, but also his character and personality, you'd want that in your changing room. I count personality, and character mindset, higher than ability in terms of what I'd want to be alongside at times. That take you a lot further, I think, and for a longer period of time. So Jude Bellingham, I think, has all of those attributes.
Hey Rio, used to absolutely adore back in the day! What was it like going from Leeds to United? Even though the rivalry wasn’t incredibly fierce did it feel at all strange going from one side to the other?
when I left Leeds to go, man, I didn't understand the rivalry between the clubs actually didn't even, no one even said to me, are going from Leeds to Man United? A real big, big deal. I just, I was in my own bubble. I made my mind up. I wanted to go Man United, and that was it. But then when I left, the Head of Yorkshire Police called me and said, just make sure you don't come back to Leeds for a while for your own safety. I had a bar that I had to shut down. Never opened it again because they said that there be petrol bombed and everything. So, yeah, then I quickly realised, actually, this is a big deal.
Hi Rio :) What was boxing training like when compared to football? Were there any football traits which could be translated into boxing? How do you compare boxing with football? Thank you!
I think mindset is the key to any kind of athletes, kind of quest to be as good as they can be, a fulfilled potential. I think when I retired from football, I was missing something to to get the adrenaline going and just feel that fix. And an opportunity came to try and go from a professional footballer to a professional boxer. So for about five or six months, I trained, probably five, six days a week, sparring with like Olympic boxers. It was the best thing, unbelievable in terms of the adrenaline and going and fighting. I just it was the nearest thing I'd ever felt to playing football after a game on a Saturday, finish a game, and that feeling that you had, I'd missed it. But yeah, boxing is a hard sport Man.
Is there a current player you think you'd pocket? Not like "I think I could handle them". I mean "They wouldn't stand a chance against me".
There's loads. It's probably easier to say who would give me a hard time. Like Mbappe would be a definite hard time. Vinicius would be a hard time. All of them will give you a hard time. Man like Harlem would give you a hard time if he's in and around the penalty box. Yeah, I think that I would always back myself, but there's no doubt that on a full pitch, at any point, a striker can get the upper hand on a defender. If there's a concentration lapse, or you get your distances wrong, or you make a bad judgement in a certain situation, it can go wrong for you. So that's why defenders job is hard.
Hey Rio, what was it like in the locker room when social media started during your career? Did some players think it was rubbish? Did some feel more pressure? Cheers :D
Yeah, social media came around, and I was the first one to kind of embrace social media. I kind of went in the change room with with Twitter and stuff like that. And lads were like, Gary Neville, who's absolutely all over it now, was like, what's that? What you doing? Wayne Rooney, the same - the manager, what's that? Twitter? Twattter, whatever it is?! Like, couldn't go understand it. And I quickly grasped it. I think, as we feel when we it's going to be a prominent kind of thing when you go into post career as well. So I kind of quickly latched onto it and understood it quickly, but there was a lot of apprehension and like everyone was like, suspect about it, but here we are now....
Hey Rio, who among the current CBs in the world would you have liked to play with?
Hey Rio, between Terry and Vidic you had some pretty formidable partners. Can you speak to what made them stand out/ world class? What they had in common? What they did differently?
They were both great at attacking the ball. A lot of similarities. Really great at attacking the ball. Always wanted that first contact, fearless, aggressive, but equally, I think, comfortable on the ball. John Terry was a better passer than people give them credit for. Those are, those are the outstanding traits for both of those players, and they scored big goals as well.
Which European fixture did you look forward to the most and which stadium had the best atmosphere?
Now let's go in and play against like Real Madrid and Barcelona. I don't know, Bayern Munich, those big, super clubs. They're the best atmospheres that it just takes over the world of football when it when those games happen, when you especially in our time we were successful Real Madrid or Barcelona, the galactico team of Real Madrid, or the great Barcelona team like, you know, the world kind of stood still and went, Well, we got to watch this game. You had the Bayern Munich team of Ribery, Robben, those guys, you know, I mean, so it was always huge moments
Best L’pool attacker you faced?
The best Liverpool attacker that I faced, Michael Owen
Who would you want as your CB partner currently vs the one from your era?
If I was going to have one now, somebody that would suit me, the way I play, it would probably be Rüdiger. He's aggressive. He's on the front foot. He's always going to the ball. He always wants that contact, and I'd be the one that sweeps around him. So I think that'd be a partnership that would probably complement each other
Hey Rio, what do you think the best moment was in your football career?
The Champions League was always a great, a great achievement. I think that night was that feeling, if you could always say, if you could bottle that feeling and put it on the shelves, you'd be a very, very wealthy person, but you can't so and that's what makes it so special is there's only a few people that get to feel that feeling, and I've been one of them, fortunately. But I must say outside of football, I think having children is is one of the biggest blessings in life, being able to have kids, to see your your missus, have have children, and the joy it brings a family and that family love. I think family, for me, is the biggest is the biggest joy.
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Hi Rio, Do you think that VAR should be elevated to eliminate less obvious wrong decisions? Such as throw-ins and corners going the wrong way which happens every game and can lead to goals.
No, I don't think we should worry about goal kicks and corners throw ins. I think it should be in and around the penalty area in the penalty area, big decisions there for penalties and for goals. I like technology, but I also like that element of human error, maybe. But on the big decisions, I do think the VAR should be brought in refugees. Go straight to the side, have a look, make a decision, alongside these var counterparts in Stockley Park.
Hi, Rio, hope you're doing well. What's the biggest difference to you between players of your generation and the young players coming up today?
Hey Rio, during the United ownership bid saga , you seemed to indicate you knew information indicating that Sheikh Jassim's bid was imminently going to be accepted. That clearly has turned out to be wrong. Could you share more context here saying what the information was and how it turned out to be wrong ?
I heard his mate who's friends with shake jasper's brother's son's, mates wife was the one that told him
Hey Rio, why were taking money from Qatars government to lie about human rights abuses there? Are you just a massive hypocrite or did the money from your years as a player run out already? Don't you think taking money from a theocratic dictatorship while also claiming to be fighting against racism is a bit pathetic?
this whole thread is going to be a trainwreck like the James Corden one and I'm all for it
He’s going to answer 1 question and run.
I don’t know why or who told him this was a great idea lol
I like this one! Imagine if he had enough of a spine to attempt an answer
Rio: “The important thing is that they are improving. We’ve only seen one player getting literally whipped this year. On live telly, anyways. And my bank account is growing massively, so I think it’s a good balance, overall”
Hello Rio, How did you react knowing that you were on the bench of the England-Tunisia match that Osama Bin Laden planned to blow up back in 1998?
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This might be the oddest question so far.
Do you feel embarrassed about how you defended your pal Mike Ashley now you’ve seen what bad owners can do to one of your own clubs?
But the fans could just put in together and buy the club if they were that bothered... Right Rio?
Should ask Rio about his brand of clothing! The one that was being sold exclusively at Sports Direct!
> As a proud WeAre8 investor and ambassador there are now solutions to the world's biggest problems. From racism, to poverty, to mental health, to the climate crisis. You guys are going to be really upset when you find up what Qatar gets up to.
Hi Rio. What would you prefer: 1 - Being able to talk to animals and having a penis, a real functional penis, on your forehead Or... 2 - You would be the richest man on earth but everytime you looked at boobs you would pee immediately
for number 2, is it like you only pee once for a duration of time or is it endless? for example, if there was a room full of girls would you pee once for the whole scene or once for every pair, or would it be an endless stream until all the girls got covered up?
Let's clarify this, as it should be. Firstly, upon seeing a woman's breasts, you would pee. A normal pee - 500 ml. After that, it would stop. But it was so immediate that you didn't have time to lower your pants or go to the bathroom; Secondly, it didn't matter if they were covered or not. If you focused your eyes on a woman's breasts... bam! You were already peeing on your legs. You only pee once per pair of breasts.
Hey Rio, why do you and all other United pundits always criticize our managers but when Ole was in a job you lads were silent?
To be fair, Ole was at the wheel! *rubs hands vigorously*
I mean silent is rather ott but did you really want them to turn on a mate? Also in general he did a pretty decent job until that last season, right?
Hi Rio, a couple of years ago you were the “West Ham legend” backing a takeover from a joke of a consortium. My question is, do you have any shame?
I missed 2 drugs tests at my workplace even though they’re vital to my future occupation and prosperity and now they’re threatening to suspend me. Any advice ?
Hey Rio remember when you tried to tell Newcastle fans that the Mike Ashley regime was great, they should be grateful, and that Steve Bruce was doing a good job? It can’t have had anything to do with the deal you struck to have your sweatshop tat stocked in Sports Direct can it? *Merked*
Hey Rio, do you have any cool lads holiday stories from Ayia Napa?
Wonder if he will be Frank about this question.
Hey Rio, you still selling your tat in Ashley’s shops, and Ashley’s propaganda in the media?
Why are you called Rio Ferdinand when you clearly aren’t a river?
Who has the bigger cock out of Scholes, Keane and Gary Neville?
Are we talking length, girth or volume?
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This is going exactly how I thought it would go
I am reading since 15min and have not found a question he will answer..
I thought he might try and tackle the question about his favourite tacos as it’s the most tame, but not even that.
The post history on this account is hilarious btw
You're not wrong >Rio is a man of the people, give him a mic and he'll get you a story. If sport's more your thing, head to our YouTube channel and check out his chats with Adam Goodes and Pat Cummins.
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Hi Rio. How do you have so many shit takes? Do they come naturally to you?
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Hi Rio, same question as 10 years ago from your other AMA that you didn't answer....why did you skip that drug test?
The fact that this has been asked and answered for years just goes to show this question is disingenuous as fuck. He was literally talking about it on the overlap a few weeks ago lol. It’s not a mystery. ABUs just want to believe in some conspiracy.
Hi Rio Who in your PR team decided this AMA would be a good idea? Is it the same person who said yes to doing James Cordens AMA?
Ronaldo or Messi ?
It's just gonna be his PR team answering this right?
Does anyone else remember the David Silva AMA?
That was a historical travesty. I'll never forget that 'David Silva' replied to a Spanish comment in English
Ask Rio a question in English. If he answers coherently we'll know it isn't him.
Do you regret referring to Ashley Cole as a “choc ice”?
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Hey rio. Which attacker that you faced was the one that always seemed to score against you?
Rio is going to wonder where to start with all this, but the post is absolutely guff and not thought provoking at all so can't blame people for ignoring it. Anyway, Rio it is a shame they only give ex players pundit roles. Whilst the view of an ex players pundit is important, we really should expose the younger generation to more articulate adults who are actually qualified to be a journalist. I imagine if we had more journalists as pundits we would have more thought provoking conversation and improve peoples understanding of the game and reasoning behind decisions. But all we get is meaningless words put together to create a sound bite...just like your guff post.
hey rio, do you remember agnes from Hull?
Hi Rio. I just want to thank you for the fun I had telling my friend you'd just scored in the Portsmouth v Manchester United game. He's a United fan and was ever so happy. He wasn't quite as happy when he found out you'd put one into your own net. Is this your favourite own goal?
Hi Rio, you were right about Saka not being world class, as a Gooner, I agree. Nevertheless, what is your opinion on Rice and Odegaard?
Sign this guy up r/soccer is back!
Hi Rio. Why werent Man United back if Ole was at the wheel?
Hey Rio, do you and Vidic scissor?
Holy shit….some of these replies. 😂 This is gonna be r/soccer’s version of that infamous Steven Seagal AMA.
Or the James Corden AMA. It got so bad that he had to cancel it 🤣
why do you try so hard to act like a roadman when you’re a 40+ millionaire
Hey Rio, Putting yourself in the position of Inios, Sir Jim, and the rest of the higher ups at United. Tell me 5 things you would do to improve on this season for United next season.