I could not help thinking about one particular guy who had an amazing career, for someone who was not blessed with an immense natural talent.
I am talking about Nelson Vivas. Former defender who played in the 90’s and until his retirement in 2005.
His career took him from hi9s first club Quilmes, to Boca Juniors, Lugano (Switzerland), Arsenal (the English one), on loan from there to Celta (Spain), Inter (Italy), River and like many players he finished his footballing days at the same club he began playing Quilmes.
He also featured for the Argentinean National team from 1994 to 2003, being selected by Passarella, Bielsa and Pekerman.
His achievements in the game are remarkable, as he never sustained any huge regularity during his club games, but he was made to feel indispensible to the National Managers who always had faith in him.
So what has he been up to since he left football.
How was the transition between being a player and not being one?
It was awful. Living with me was so terrible, that my wife told me to go to see a shrink. I did not notice at the time but there were many bad things going on inside me and I needed help.
So the myth of suddenly being a former footballer hit you hard…
You are not kidding. I have always been very tidy and organised, but spending so much time at home turned me into a man with an Obsessive compulsive disorder.
I couldn’t help but arranging the fridge as you see them in a supermarket, all the yoghurts together by flavour, etc. Also used to unfold all my t-shirts that were already in the drawers and fold them again making sure they looked all the same, every time I got out of the car I would hoover it and clean it, and to park it in our garage, the tyres needed to be parallel to the line of the floor tiles. Another thing that used to drive me mad was if any of the cushions was out of place on the sitting room sofas.
So it was a matter of getting myself sorted or losing my family, and that was not an option for me.
How did Therapy worked?
It helped me realised that all my behaviours were ways to feel the void that not going to train and play had left in me.
When Cholo Simeone came to ask me if I wanted to be his assistant, I said yes. Cholo saved my life. Not literally, but having the chance to go back to work, helped me and my family to regain sanity.
You have been assistant to Simeone in Estudiantes, River and San Lorenzo. Are you obsessive at work as well?
A little. A I have a book for every training session we have ever done. Who was there and who was not, and why they were not there. Every thing is there, what exercises we have done, who stood in what position, what tactic we practised, and every week has also attached a report of every game we have played.
Every 6 months I make a copy of it, and give it to Simeone.
Do people still recognise you? Do you still sign autographs?
If I go on holidays somewhere in Europe where English people go, they still ask me “ is it you?” and we have a laugh and a joke. Here not so much
How did you make the step up from Quilmes to Boca?
Menotti was the Manager and he wanted me there, but Passarella was managing River and he also wanted me.
In the end Boca offered me the chance and I went. Luckily for me Passarella was made Manager of Argentina and he called me there too.
Which Manager taught you the most?
I will pass ont that one. If I say Bielsa Passarella will think I am ungrateful as he gave me my international break, when I was not getting many games at Boca.
Do you remember how Menotti described you?
Yes, he said I was like a bee. No matter how many times I was passed I always came back straight away. Meaning that, like a bee, I was very annoying to be against.
And then Lugano?
I know, that was crazy at the time. I was not getting games at Boca and Lugano came for me, and I went. We got promoted to the top division, I had a good season and ended up in London at Arsenal, because Wenger wanted a right back, and had lost Ferrer (from Barcelona) to Chelsea.
Describe Arsene Wenger?
He really surprised me, he was unique, an innovator, he had no physical trainer. I used to watch the English league and think that they must train like mad. So quick, so intense. But apart from Pre season training or to recover from injuries, we did nothing physical at all. It was all about playing small games to work in how to keep possession in small spaces and at passing at speed, all timed by him, we had small groups and played with maniquens, 4 goals, no keepers, 2 keepers. We never had an 11 a side game either.
Do you remember the song Arsenal fans sang to you?
Yes, off course. At the end of the season someone recorded them and I got a copy. I love my song. HaHa. People there showed me a lot of affection. At Arsenal I played in every position apart from right back. That is Wenger for you.
Differences between squads here and in England?
England has a drinking culture that we don’t. Players are part of that. Wenger banned alcohol from everywhere and at the time we had Tony Adams who was a recovering alcoholic, so the squad met only once (in my time there) at 5 o’clock. It was in the VIP area of a club. I arrived at 9 and left at 11. But the ones that arrived at 5 were still drinking a lot.
Here that culture does not exist. The guys like a drink or two, but not like in England
On the other hand, I used to ask referees for cards for the opponents and my team mates used to shout at me, asking me to stop it, as it was unsporting.
Here everyone asks for cards for the rivals.
Any other memories from over there?
I played in two historic games. One when the Italian Di Canio pushed the referee. I was standing just beside them That Di Canio was a bit mad.
I also played that game against Sheffield United that had to be replayed, because Wenger told us in the dressing room that we broke an unwritten rule, and he did not want his team to win like that. We won the re match too.
When he came to Argentina, Thierry Henry said that you were a tough cookie even in training. That many times Ljungberg and him tried to pass you using the one-two, but one of them ended always in the ground.
HaHa. True. Freddy nicknamed me “the Kicking Machine”. If I let him do that to me in training come the next game I would have been out, so no way I was going to let them.
Well there you have him; he is still the same guy he always was. Frank, honest, and a fighter, that is Nelson Vivas.