“Baldilocks” Barthez, who recently refused to travel with his teammates for a planned soccer match with Israel’s national team next week, gets the sarcastic treatment from the Jerusalem Post.
‘Fabien the Brave’ lands in IsraelFabien Barthez plucked up his courage and arrived here together with the rest of the French squad ahead of Wednesday s World Cup qualifier with Israel. Barthez, who threatened not to make the trip to Israel due to fears for his personal security, landed at Ben Gurion Airport before being whisked to the team’s Tel Aviv hotel.
While I agree that Barthez and the French deserve some good old-fashioned, sarcastic treatment, I am a bit confused, since I was under the impression that he did not want to come “because of the the Israeli army’s actions against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza”, rather than security fears.
Either way, he is French, and a jerk. So he deserves the negative press.
Meanwhile, I do not know what to make of this:
In a bid to avoid the local media, the French squad was taken through a side door. Though photographers managed to catch a glimpse of the former European and world champions, journalists were left guessing as to the meaning of a four-finger signal by some of the French players.*
I am willing to guess that it does not mean “Shalom, it is nice to be here.”
Now how about leaving the French players guessing the meaning of an outstretched arm and raised middle finger?
* You can learn more French hand signals here.
