Arms outstretched, “because it’s only in American films that we bend our elbows”, joke the firefighters around him, Robert Pires provides a cardiac massage to the exercise dummy. Here he is ready, at least on the security side, to coach a football team.
Barely relieved of this oh-so-crucial maneuver, the former glory of the French team perfectly sums up the challenges of his level 1 prevention and civic relief diploma (PSC1), which he passed this Thursday at the fire center and emergency services from Chatou (Yvelines). “This training is extremely important because a heart attack can happen at any time and any place,” summarizes the 1998 world champion.
The PSC1, obtained each year by many professionals, is required in various diplomas relating to the public. This is the case of the football coaching certificate (BEF), which Robert Pires takes this year at the regional campus of Morfondé (Seine-et-Marne) – the first step before the state diploma then the coaching certificate professional in Clairefontaine (Yvelines). His promotion notably includes two other ex-internationals, Vikash Dhorasoo (Lyon, AC Milan, PSG) and Charles N’Zogbia (Newcastle, Wigan and Aston Villa).
A “top barracks”
Robert Pires was then presented with badges by the Chatou firefighters, under the watchful eye of his friend Karl Olive, MP (Renaissance) for the 12th constituency of Yvelines, who came to visit him at midday. Both have Canal + in common, since the elected official headed the sports department between 2002 and 2005, when the Arsenal legend has commented on the Premier League and the Champions League since 2019.
At the end of his training, Robert Pires was awarded the Chatou fire brigade badge.
“It’s thanks to Karl Olive that I am in Chatou today”, explains, again, Pires, 50 years old, who praises a welcome “not only good, but very good”, from the Chatou firefighters . “The barracks are at the top: it’s important for students like us to have such an efficient coach,” he continues, already adopting the lexical field of the sidelines.
Training that aims to avoid new tragedies
A good understanding which is confirmed on the side of the teaching firefighters. Romuald Norymberg, trainer for the departmental union of Yvelines firefighters, describes a student who is “very interested, conscientious, and adaptable”.
Pires knows the importance of first aid actions all the better since he played in the France-Tunisia match in the 2003 Confederations Cup, a few minutes after learning of the death of Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé in the middle of the match. another semi-final against Colombia. More recently, the heart attack of the Dane Christian Eriksen, during Euro 2021, once again reminded us of the importance of life-saving gestures.
