From Reuben Jacobs: Lollichon
Hi Myles,
Hope all’s well.
I’m still enjoying your blog (ever since you predicted Sol Campbell’s move).
Noticed this (from Newsnow, I’m not a Mail reader).
The phrase ‘ex coach’ caught my eye as I recalled you waiting impatiently to learn when he would join Arsenal. A quick search confirmed he is still at Chelsea:
http://www.chelseafc.com/teams/management-team/christophe-lollichon.html
Do you know anything about this situation? Why it didn’t happen?
Could he possible rejoining Cech in the future?
Myles says:
Your timing is impeccable, Reuben.
I got your email while reading Wednesday’s Evening Standard interview with Petr Cech.
Arsenal’s present success has come from signing three class players: Ozil, Sanchez and Cech.
The manager finally did what we had been asking him to do for years.
Paid the money for proven international players (like Xabi Alonso, the best half-back in Europe at the time) who could improve a team immediately and permanently.
Lollichon realised that a young guy as professional as Cech could become the best in the world.
And I was thrilled about them coming as a pair.
We don’t know anything about what stage negotiations reached. Or even if Chelsea ever considered losing both men.
We only know that Christophe and Petr are very close friends.
This article is informative but tells us NOTHING about why Lollichon didn’t join Arsenal with Cech. And it says nothing about future possibilities
My best guess on why it didn’t happen? Well, I reckon Christophe Lollichon is a huge assert to any football club. He’s so exceptional that he’s irreplaceable, certainly in the short term.