We see Philippe Senderos, Arsenal's big star, with a little boy in his arms. Today, the boy is a national team star himself. Senderos tells blue Sport how it all came about.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- An old photo shows national team legend Philippe Senderos with the then little Johan Manzambi - now a rising star of the Swiss national team.
- Senderos praises Manzambi's character and abilities and sees in him the potential for a great international career.
- With his goal against Sweden and the upcoming World Cup qualifier in Pristina, Manzambi symbolizes the promising future of Swiss football.
A parking lot in Geneva. Philippe Senderos, "about 22 or 23 years old" at the time, carries a boy in his arms. "Two to three years old, I guess," says Senderos with a wink. Only today does he know: The boy on his arm has a great football career ahead of him.
The boy on Senderos' arm is Johan Manzambi (20). The young man who is currently delighting Swiss national team fans and has also grown to greatness in the Bundesliga with Freiburg.
Senderos explains: "This picture was taken in the parking lot of the Servette academy, where I was visiting. I think his mother took the photo - and then he sent it to me a few years ago." It brings back memories of when Lionel Messi gave little Lamine Yamal a bath and the photos went around the world.
Senderos believes in a great Manzambi career
"Johan is a super kid, with a super character," says national team legend Senderos, who played for AC Milan as well as Arsenal and made a global career from appearances at World Cups, European Championships and Champions League games as a central defender. "We are always in contact and talk from time to time. When I joined Servette as sports director, he was in the academy, but then went to Freiburg."
Senderos, who is currently working for FIFA, says: "You could already see back then that he was a top professional. But today you can see that he has international class. He can have a great international career. He has incredible physical and technical abilities and can play different positions - 'the sky is the limit' for him."
Today, Manzambi will first secure his World Cup ticket with the national team in Pristina if they don't sensationally lose by six goals to one. But Senderos also believes that Manzambi's 4-1 win over Sweden was a load off his mind: "Scoring that goal to clinch the final result in his own city was a very special moment. For him and for everyone."
We can be confident that Swiss football will experience many more magical Manzambi moments.
