While his former club Arsenal battles the stress of extreme fan and media scrutiny, French World Cup winner Robert Pirès has been living out his retirement in Greece. But recently, he went to watch a friendly between two local, nonprofessional teams and found himself right back on the pitch.
The 39-year-old was in the coastal town of Rafina, presumably soaking up the sun, when he was spotted in the stands. Storm Rafina asked him to play, and he came on in the second half as the team trailed AO Mykonos. Pirès took up his customary position on left wing, and he scored a goal and provided an assist in what would ultimately be a 3-2 win for Rafina.
Pirès, the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Player of the Tournament and three-time selection to the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year, showed that class really is permanent, although the match looked to be played at just above walking pace.
