Arsenal suffer kindergarten mentality — Kunle Afod

Veteran Nollywood actor, Kunle Afod, has criticised Arsenal for lacking a winning mentality, suggesting they are not equipped for title challenges. In the interview with Raymond Tolulope monitored by OLAMIDE ABE, he also reflected on his Chelsea allegiance and his deep connection to Shooting Stars of Ibadan as part of his football identity

How is your sporting life. Why do I feel your club might surprise people?

Many fans already know I am a Chelsea fan for life. If you look at Nigerian clubs, Chelsea has a lineage here: 3SC Shooting Stars. Both wear double blue. Football is tied to tradition and culture. You represent your town. I cannot come from Ibadan and support another club. So, 3SC for life, Chelsea for life.

But both clubs are struggling now?

True, there are always tough periods. We are doing reasonably well currently. Regarding rivals, people assume Chelsea dislikes Arsenal most, but in London, our true rival is Tottenham. I have been to Stamford Bridge, and fans sing “We hate Tottenham” regardless of the opponent.

That is a revelation. I always believed the biggest London rivalry was between Chelsea and Arsenal?

Many big clubs dislike Arsenal, but only Chelsea reserves that special enmity for Tottenham. I heard the reas on dates back to before Abramovich. He originally wanted to buy Tottenham, but they disagreed. He bought Chelsea instead, and we started dominating them.

Can Chelsea return to the top?

Yeah, well, it depends on those who own the club now, because I do not think they are purely interested in the sports. They just want to make money. They are interested in the business, and that was exactly what Arsenal was facing in those difficult days. But now they believe that they are back to gain the title, yet they still have that kindergarten mentality. Arsenal has a kindergarten mentality. You know, they are just leaving the young players to play alongside the experienced big names now. They have not fully fit into that winning position. We are also currently playing with the small boys, so that is why we are behaving like kindergarten students.

How did you become a Chelsea fan?

Historically, Nigerians supported clubs based on players. Kanu took people to Arsenal; Babayaro and Mikel attracted fans to Chelsea. My journey, however, started earlier. I loved Ruud Gullit and his dreadlocks. He was Chelsea’s manager in the mid-nineties. Later, José Mourinho solidified my love. Every good director appreciates Mourinho because he is a brilliant director of people. He brings out the best in his players. Drogba, Essien, and Lampard call him “daddy.” He psychs you up to win—a mentality Arsenal lacks. As poor as Chelsea can be, in a cup final, you should never bet against us. It is in our DNA. When we beat Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku, it wasn’t because of Maurizio Sarri; Chelsea gave him that trophy.

Let’s discuss your highest moments. But first, the low moments?

The 2008 Champions League final loss to Manchester United in Russia was devastating. We played so well, the cup should have been ours. We lost on penalties. I was so pained I fell asleep immediately to cope. Another heartbreak was the 2009 semi-final against Barcelona. That Iniesta last-minute goal was pure robbery. Clear penalties and handballs were ignored. Chelsea has suffered these injustices for a long time.

When John Terry stepped up for that penalty in 2008, did you think you had won?

No. I study things psychologically. Terry is an excellent player, but his fortune with cup finals is poor. He missed many finals we eventually won. The moment he walked forward, I knew he would slip. Sometimes you sense these outcomes. For instance, Vincent Enyeama made sure Lionel Messi wouldn’t score against him except for once. Similarly, Romelu Lukaku had never missed a penalty until the Super Cup against Real Madrid. Pressure can determine outcomes, like in the recent AFCON.

And the highest moments?

The 2012 final against Bayern Munich stands out. Bayern is a team I have a special respect for. I do not see Bayern as a team that plays; they don’t joke, they don’t laugh. It is like a combat. So, when you are going to meet Bayern, you have to double your preparation. They were not playing in front of their own fans, you understand? And well, it is difficult, but from the preparation, if you know how to psyche your teammates or your players, you get results.

They brought their families to come and talk to them the night before the match. Imagine your children, your wife, your dad, your mom, your brother telling you that you are what they are looking up to. You will want to wound yourself on the pitch. So, the moment that happened, God supported us. And God did. That was a very good moment. And there were just some seven minutes left. My brother, three goals can enter in seven minutes in football.

If you equalize against a Chelsea team at ninety minutes and they give us four minutes of extra time, a miracle can happen. That is the spirit that Chelsea normally have. I won’t tell you that I can lose hope until the last whistle. So, that was one. The second highest moment was the final against Manchester City. On that day, it did not matter. Let us meet in a final again, and you will be shocked. Let me give you an example. PSG did so well last season. If we met them in the round of sixteen, they could have destroyed us. But in a final, we made them understand what football is all about. Everybody was shocked. I watched that match and told the people around me that I knew I was winning. The first two minutes in, I said I was winning. The match was under control.