#Chris Waddle recalls a mad time in Marseille

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Chris Waddle recalls a mad time in Marseille, music… and the mafia

Thirty years ago, Chris Waddle became Britain's most expensive football player this summer when he joined Olympique Marseille from Tottenham Hotspur for £ 4.5 million.

On a gray August night in his native Northeast, Waddle met Sportsmail for a beer to reflect on three colorful years on the Cote d & # 39; Azur …

Chris Waddle met a Sportsmail for beer reflecting on three colorful years in Marseille

Waddle won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles and was a European Cup second during his stay

The Vauxhall SRi Turbo hit 100 km / h on the deserted toll road from Aix en Provence when flashing blue lights illuminated its rearview mirror.

& # 39; I was late for training, & # 39; Waddle remembers. & # 39; The police officer started on the usual, "Do you know what speed you are going?". Then he stopped himself and looked at me, "Waddle?!"

& # 39; He tore off the bottom of the speed ticket and asked me to sign it. "Souvenir," he said. "No fine". & # 39;

Before he left, the officer asked Waddle why he was driving too fast. He explained that the training started within 15 minutes. & # 39; So then he said: & # 39; Follow me & # 39 ;, turn on the blue light and give me an escort! & # 39;

WADDLE ON … ERIC CANTONA

& I liked Eric. He was a fool, but he was dry. We had a team dinner and Jean-Pierre Papin was just kidding. Eric never liked Papin. Papin stuck his fork in this vinegar bag and thought it would hit me if he injected it. Except, it's machine gun Eric – his forehead, mouth, chin, chest. I couldn't stop laughing. The rest were silent. They thought, "Eric finally has his chance to kill Papin." He grabbed his napkin, slow to death, and dabbed all the vinegar. He looked at me and said, "You want to grow up." Then to Papin: & You are a little boy. I'm going to bed & # 39 ;. & # 39;

In a city of the Mafia line, Waddle discovered that you didn't need connections to the underworld if you were the darling of the Stade Velodrome.

& # 39; If I took parking tickets down the desk, the guy would just tear off and save the characteristic part. I must have had 80 and never paid for it. & # 39;

It was all very different from life in London, where he played for Spurs and England, but enjoyed relative anonymity.

& # 39; Suddenly, I was chased by shopping malls by screaming schoolgirls, & # 39; says Waddle, now 58. & # 39; You hit without emergency exits and jump into cars. I think, "What is this all about?"

It was a French love affair with an Englishman nicknamed & # 39; Magic Chris & # 39 ;, a stylish winger with effortless genius who won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles and a Second Place European Cup in 1991.

He even hit the charts thanks to a rap duet with teammate Basile Boli, although he did not scale up the heights of Diamond Lights, the single he released with Glenn Hoddle making the British top 20 in 1987.

Marseille gave him the nickname & # 39; Magic Chris & # 39; because he was a stylish winger with effortless genius

He recalls that the local police were more than willing to write down a number of motor violations WADDLE ON … BASILE BOLI

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& # 39; He said: & # 39; Do you want to sing a song with me? It is an African-European rap. "I said," That sounds terrible, I am a serious singer, have you never heard of Diamond Lights? "Anyway, I agreed. We recorded the video and they dressed me like John Steed from The Avengers, wore a bowler hat and a brolly and dancing! The video came on TV one evening, oh my god! It came on number 1 in Albania! I said to him before Euro & # 39; 92: "Stuart Pearce is harder than you." Does he do that? Pearcey Headbutts when France played England! & # 39;

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Later, the Marseille Waddle supporters were said to be the second best player of the 20th century. He smiles as he is reminded.The winner was Jean-Pierre Papin, the productive French striker who, on arrival in the south, owned Waddle of France, and laughs too.

& # 39; Papin had a few problems with his wife, "he says." I would be in my room and your ears would be louder I didn't understand a word but I think, "That's not a conversation." You'd be in the kitchen for breakfast and it would start again, and I think, "Where's the shooting chair? Get me out of here!"

Now sitting in a quiet corner of De Kroon pub in Gateshead, just around the corner from his in-laws and where the locals lovingly greet this famous but familiar face, it feels far away from chez Papin and that summer of 1989.

Waddle takes us back: & # 39; I was happy at Spurs, but they told me: & # 39; Marseille has arrived. We've put a silly price on your head, but they want to pay & # 39 ;. I said, "Why didn't you tell them £ 10 million then?" Next, I left. & # 39;

Waddle became the third most expensive player in the world – only Diego Maradona and Ruud Gullit had cost more. He left his wife and a one-year-old daughter in London while he acclimatized and landed in Marseille. & # 39; A journalist at the airport asks me: & # 39; Are you looking forward to playing at the Stade Velodrome? & # 39; … & # 39; Of course. & # 39;

& # 39; He then said: & # 39; Which song do you start tonight? "I think," Hey, what is he talking about? Did Diamond Lights come out in France? "

& # 39; He says: & # 39; You're the Pink Floyd singer? & # 39; they played at the stadium that night! I think:" Wait a minute, I wonder if Maradona and Gullit had this? "

But Waddle didn't make the right notes in those first months.

& # 39; I was far from the pace, "He says. I had done it in the preseason. My first day was in 95 degrees heat. At the end I am lying there, my face bright red. The boys called me Roast Beef! & # 39;

Waddle and Sportsmail & # 39; s Craig Hope met in Gateshead, just around the corner from his in-laws

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The supporters of Marseille call Waddle the second best player of the 20th century

However, Papin had a softer side, at least after his wife left the kitchen. I would ask him: "What does the newspaper say?" He would say: "Waddle … did well today, getting better". I would look at the numbers and it was 4 out of 10. "How can they say I'm fine?" He would say, "Ah, it must be a printing error."

& # 39; In fact, it said I was a c ** p and he was trying to protect me. I liked Papin. A player. & # 39;

Waddle was certainly not protected by the press. & # 39; It was all, "Waddle, what a waste of money". I said, "Listen, give me three months to get fit and write what you want." I got about three hours! & # 39;

Then one night in October, everything changed. His goal against PSG in a 2-1 home win remains the most iconic of his career. There are T-shirts, prints and murals that show their bravery.

& # 39; I was fed up with my life now & # 39 ;, he begins, given a surprising answer to the question: & # 39; Can you tell us something about that beautiful night? & # 39;

But Waddle wants to offer some context. They didn't know where to play me. They bought me as a No. 10, but I wasn't. They called me in: "Chris, we've paid you a lot of money …". I think: "Here we go, they send me back to Spurs". But they wanted to know why I was wrong. & # 39;

Waddle grabs a notepad and sketches a football field. & # 39; It was like a scene from & # 39; Allo & # 39 ;, Allo! I said to the coach: "You play me earlier, I want to play & # 39; there & # 39; I drew circles everywhere to explain – it must have worked. & # 39;

Waddle initially struggled for fitness, but soon impressed French fans when he hit his stride

Waddle explains how he had lunch with a mafia boss but refused to be sucked into conty oversy

His recreation shows a front three with Abedi Pele on the left, Papin in the middle and himself on the right, but with a permit to roam the field. & # 39; That week we finally moved to our house in Aix. I said to my wife, "This is it now, if it doesn't work at Christmas, we'll probably be started anyway."

The goal. & # 39; It was 0-0 and our left back lifted the ball into the area. It was just me and the keeper, Joel Bats. He runs to me, but I skipped it over him. I thought, "Oh, I'm probably offside, I just stop it with a rear wheel." I looked around. In the flag I was over the billboards. From there it all started. & # 39;

WADDLE ON … CARLOS MOZER

& # 39; A defender from Brazil signed with me at the same time. We drove to training together. We didn't have a common language. I think: "This will be a long three miles". Suddenly he says "Kevin Keegan". I think for a moment and say "Skin". He says "Gary Lineker". I'm going, "Jairzinho." This continues all the way to training. We get back in the car and it starts again. Bryan Robson. So I say "Rivellino". Glenn Hoddle. "Tostao". We did this for three days! He now has a restaurant in Lisbon. I saw him a few years ago. I just said & # 39; Jairzinho & # 39; and we couldn't stop laughing. & # 39;

Come May 1990, Marseille was champion and Waddle, scorer of 12 goals, could park the Vauxhall wherever he wanted. He was a favorite of club president Bernard Tapie, the foolish politician, and everyone wanted a piece of him.

& # 39; I was invited to lunch at the port. This old man sits down next to me. I look at my teammates: "Who is this?" Then I saw the gun in his coat.

& # 39; One of the boys went to the toilet, so I ran after him: "Who is that?" "One of the Mafia bosses, he just wants to meet you". I shook his hand and was polite – but I didn't go on the Maradona road! & # 39;

That summer, in Italia & # 39; 90, Waddle and Maradona could have met in the final, if the first had not blown a penalty over the bar in the shootout defeat of England against the final West Germany champions in the semi-final.

Waddle returned in March the following March for a quarter-final of the European Cup against AC Milan. They drew 1-1 in the San Siro and it was aimless with 15 minutes to go in the second leg when Skin crossed from the right and Papin flicked to Waddle.

played Waddle against Red Star Belgrade in 1991 European Cup final that Marseille lost

After missing a penalty on Italia & # 39; 90, Waddle insisted a and that he was not willing to take one in Bari

& # 39; I would probably never try that shot again, a right-foot volleyball, & # 39; he says. & # 39; Once it leaves your foot, it is a bit of a snail, dice. Then you think: "You know what, it has a chance that this … it is inside!"

Then a few floodlights went out notoriously and Milan walked away. The referee said Marseille were winners and UEFA agreed, later banned Milan a season. Not that Waddle remembers many of the final phases.

& # 39; Looking back, I play with scented salts in my hand. (Paolo) Maldini had his elbow hit against my head. You should never play today.

& # 39; Anyway, Gazza was my guest that night. We then drank a beer and my head started to turn. Then I am sick and my legs are gone. I am lying on a stretcher and am being lifted in an ambulance! Gazza says, "Where are you going?" I said, "Where do you think I'm going?" I was in the hospital for a week. & # 39;

Waddle was finally back in Red Star Belgrade in Bari. After a golden stalemate it went to penalty & # 39; s. & # 39; I didn't take any, I sat in the dugout & # 39 ;, he says. & # 39; Because of Italia 90? Absolutely. I don't even take one now on a Sunday morning. & # 39; Red Star won the shootout 5-3.

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