Ex Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has written a tell-all book, in which he claims that being exposed to swingers' parties and cocaine is almost part-and-parcel of being a Premiership star.
The ponytailed Frenchman was a big hit at Arsenal between 1997 to 2000, helping inspire the Gunners to a famous League and Cup double in 1998.
With success came plenty of trappings, however, and in his autobiography 'A Fleur de Peau', he wasn't the least bit shy to talk about the high life and seedy underworld that apparently often makes up the environment of a top football star.
"On my days off I discovered the parallel world of Parisian nights – private soirees, swapping clubs," wrote Petit.
"They often went on in incredibly luxurious apartments whose owners I didn't even know – but everyone recognised me."
Petit, who denies ever having indulged in cocaine, went on to insist that the debauchery was in no way restricted to Paris.
Speaking candidly of a sexual adventure he had in the Sopwell House hotel in St Albans, Herts, close to Arsenal's training ground, he wrote:
"This pretty girl came regularly. We had a relationship one day in the snooker room. The next morning, the director and his staff welcomed me with applause.
"He said the room had cameras but reassured me that, as an Arsenal fan, he wouldn’t make the slightest use of it."
The French World Cup winner went on to tell of partying on multi-million dollar yachts owned by obscenely rich Arabs who he descirbes as being dubious in character to say the least.
"They had only top models on board and cocaine everywhere," he says. "I didn’t take any. The wealthy owners had a great time humiliating the young women in the worst of ways."
Derek Wanner, Goal.com
The ponytailed Frenchman was a big hit at Arsenal between 1997 to 2000, helping inspire the Gunners to a famous League and Cup double in 1998.
With success came plenty of trappings, however, and in his autobiography 'A Fleur de Peau', he wasn't the least bit shy to talk about the high life and seedy underworld that apparently often makes up the environment of a top football star.
"On my days off I discovered the parallel world of Parisian nights – private soirees, swapping clubs," wrote Petit.
"They often went on in incredibly luxurious apartments whose owners I didn't even know – but everyone recognised me."
Petit, who denies ever having indulged in cocaine, went on to insist that the debauchery was in no way restricted to Paris.
Speaking candidly of a sexual adventure he had in the Sopwell House hotel in St Albans, Herts, close to Arsenal's training ground, he wrote:
"This pretty girl came regularly. We had a relationship one day in the snooker room. The next morning, the director and his staff welcomed me with applause.
"He said the room had cameras but reassured me that, as an Arsenal fan, he wouldn’t make the slightest use of it."
The French World Cup winner went on to tell of partying on multi-million dollar yachts owned by obscenely rich Arabs who he descirbes as being dubious in character to say the least.
"They had only top models on board and cocaine everywhere," he says. "I didn’t take any. The wealthy owners had a great time humiliating the young women in the worst of ways."
Derek Wanner, Goal.com
RAFA 
Comment