March 1998  - N°33 France 98

LOVE FOR THE GAME

Sir Peter Ustinov

At 77, the venerable, actor, novelist, director, producer, humorist and UNICEF ambassador has lost none of his wit or sense of mischief. Globe-trotter, polyglot, knighted by the Queen of England and twice an Oscar winner, Peter Ustinov, who just recently put on a triumphant opera at the Bolshoi, satisfies his insatiable curiosity for life by criss-crossing the continents. And so he is able to view "the beautiful game" from many different angles.

When I played football as a young man, I was generally asked to be goalkeeper. My team-mates saw two advantages to this: I wasn't very co-ordinated, but I was quite nimble, and my girth made an effective barrier between the ball and the goal. Sometimes, in an effort to protect myself, I even managed to make a save or two. Outfield, too, I could also turn myself to good account, surprising my opponents with my lightning speed, though only over short distances. Even today I have good reflexes. In 1980, while I was rehearsing to play King Lear at Stratford-on-Avon, I was wondering whether I wasn't too old for the part, when, during my only meal of the day, I knocked my glass of water off the table. But I managed to catch it just before it hit the ground. And this reassured me, because in my profession it's vital to have good timing. In my case, playing football obviously helped me in this respect.

Football is constantly evolving. More than anything else it's becoming more physical, which I like. It's also extremely tactical. It can be an intellectual exercise like a game of chess. I enjoy its subtlety too; the teams knowing how to change tactics if the occasion merits. I also take delight in being surprised; I'll never forget watching the North Koreans in 1966. They were a breath of fresh air. The World Cup is the only international arena where small countries can make considerable strides forward.

"In their way, footballers are artists.
 Just like actors,
  they have to live dangerously
with the risk of forgetting their lines."

Because of my Russian and German origins (I also have Italian and French blood in me), my temperament is mainly Slavonic. And although I don't support one nation in particular, I was sensitive to the fact that Russia was knocked out by Italy in the FRANCE 98 qualifying rounds. Sometimes, when it comes to suspense and quality of football, the qualifiers are more interesting than the finals, like the Iran-Japan game, which I won't be forgetting in a hurry.I have an English passport and lived for many years in London, but I'm not a fan of Glenn Hoddle and his boys. He's got enough followers as it is. Having said that I didn't appreciate Maradona's "hand of God" goal in 1986. That was an unfair refereeing decision that really annoyed me.

Whenever I leave my Swiss Chalet to travel around the world, I take an interest in the local football. Its human aspect appeals to me, as well as the various approaches adopted. Football is played in very different ways on different continents. Each country's national characteristics generally come out on the football field: the fighting spirit of the Japanese, the diffidence of the Chinese, for example. My greatest footballing wish is to see the USA play Iraq in the World Cup finals, assuming that the game would be playedand endin a normal manner! In 1982 I was invited to Madrid to see the World Cup Final between Italy and Germany. What a contrast between these two footballing nations! The atmosphere was extraordinary. In their way, footballers are artists. Just like actors, they have to live dangerously with the risk of forgetting their lines. It's when they're in front of an open goal that they sometimes miss. I enjoy watching their harmony of movement; how they co-ordinate what they want to do and what they actually do; their pinpointed passes. In this respect Beckenbauer and Ginola spring to mind as good examples.

One thing that has always astonished me is that more people don't disapprove of the many injuries caused when players pile on top of one another after a goal is scored. Imagine if people went on like that in the theatre after every good scene: the play would go on for ever!