Today is George Weah’s 50th birthday and looks back over his life and career. “My Milan was the strongest team I’ve ever seen.”
The Liberian was born and raised in absolute poverty, so keeps the lessons of that time to this day and told his children to never leave food on the plate.
Today is George Weah’s 50th birthday and looks back over his life and career. “My Milan was the strongest team I’ve ever seen.”
The Liberian was born and raised in absolute poverty, so keeps the lessons of that time to this day and told his children to never leave food on the plate.
“I had a very difficult life, as at times we didn’t even have any food, but I don’t like to look back on that. I no longer have my mother, my father or my grandmother: I look to the future,” the politician told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Thank God I reached the age of 50, so now I hope for good health, which is not easy. I want to work for my country and the Liberian people, to be at the service of mankind.
“I watch sport on TV now, like any other 50-year-old man! I’m kidding, I still have the physique to play, as every day at 8am I go to the gym and keep my muscles in shape.”
How does he feel seeing the current state of Milan, who failed to qualify for Europe yet again?
“I saw a few games and it was an unsatisfying experience. But Milan is Milan, I hope that everything works out. It’s not right that people in the stadium are sad.
“If the new Chinese owners can build a great team, then why not? It was the same at PSG, as to buy champions you simply need money.
“My Milan, the one that won the two Scudetti, was the strongest team I’ve ever seen. I still keep in contact with Marco Simone, who has always been like a brother to me, while the other day I spoke to Ibou Ba and my friend Umberto Gandini, who is now at Roma.”
He won the Serie A title in 1995-96 with Fabio Capello as Coach, then again in 1998-99 under Alberto Zaccheroni.
There is a new generation of Weah talent in football, as his 16-year-old son Timothy scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League for Paris Saint-Germain this week.
“I am very happy and I thank God for this fantastic player, my son. I hope he can grow up humble and become much better than I ever was.
“I pray when things go well and when they go badly, or even just to thank God. At the age of 22 I went to Monaco, won the Ballon d’Or and African Player of the Year award, became a UNICEF ambassador, leader of a political party and ambassador of peace in my country.
“I also scored that goal running from my own penalty area against Verona. I do miss Italy and wish that country all the best.”