I pretended to cry because I wanted out of Barcelona under LVG, says former French international Christophe Dugarry
Christophe Dugarry, the former French international who was a member of the of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, has spoken out against his former coach Louis van Gaal. Currently working as a media pundit for French media outlet, Le Vesteire,Dugarry was critical of his former coach and even went to lengths of pretending to cry so that he could leave Barcelona.
His time at Barcelona was a disaster according to the former Birmingham striker who spent only six months in Spain before moving back to France to represent Marseille.
Dugarry stated, "I pretended to cry so I'd be allowed to leave". Comparing his experience to ‘living hell’, he was disturbed by the behaviour of the Dutchman who according to him made irrational questions as to why he had lost possession.
Dugarry wasn’t as prolific as a striker as he would have liked, scoring a total of only 62 goals over 368 appearances in club football. He also represented the national side for a grand total of 55 times, scoring just 8 times. Having come through the youth ranks at Bordeaux alongside teammates Zidane and Lizarazu, he spent eight years over there before joining AC Milan.
The Frenchman went on to represent a host of club sides, he also played in the Premier League for Birmingham City, where he helped them cement their Premier League status with a goal scoring spree of 5 goals in 4 matches. As a result, he was signed on a two-year deal by the club.
Dugarry was a part of the successful France sides which dominated international football at the time. He won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and the 2001 Confederations Cup. His nomadic career in club football though has earned him fans across the world. Over the course of his football career, he has earned the adulation of a host of fans ranging from his boyhood club, Bordeaux to Birmingham City.
Recently, Dugarry topped the annual list of highest paid footballers with an estimated $82 Million in combined earnings as revealed in the People with Money, magazine. The magazine which compiles the list takes into account a host of factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and other advertising work.
The French footballer is reported to have a net worth of around $245 Million owing to investments in the stocks, property and restaurant chains and has also launched his own brand of Vodka as well while dabbling in perfume products as well.