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Anorak News | Liverpool balls: Mamadou Sakho gets English lessons from Joey Barton

Liverpool balls: Mamadou Sakho gets English lessons from Joey Barton

by | 25th, March 2015

MAY 13: Captain, Thiago Silva (L) and Mamadou Sakho (R) of PSG celebrate in front of the fans after winning Ligue 1 during the Paris Saint-Germain Trophy Ceremony at Trocadero plaza on May 13, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

MAY 13: Captain, Thiago Silva (L) and Mamadou Sakho (R) of PSG celebrate in front of the fans after winning Ligue 1 during the Paris Saint-Germain Trophy Ceremony at Trocadero plaza on May 13, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

 

Liverpool news now. The Sun says that Mamadou Sakho used only to speak French to his teammates. Is that good or bad? The Liverpool team that lined up against Manchester United featured five native English speakers. So. Speaking just in French is less than ideal.

But the best bit about the Sun’s story is that Mamadou is quoted thus:

“Learning the language has been the hardest part of adapting to life in England. I get very frustrated when I can’t express myself. Some people told me to speak in French, saying it would enable me to relax a little. But when I spoke French on the pitch, calling for substitutions and similar matters, nobody understood what I was saying. I thought, ‘oh no, this is pointless!’ and felt I really had to learn English. It took me some time, but I’m fine now.”

His English is superb.

But we do wonder if when Mamadou was speaking only in French, he was doing so with the affectation of a broad Scouse accent – you know, in the same vein as Liverpool lad Joey Barton speaks French to the people of Marseilles:

 

 



Posted: 25th, March 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink