French President FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE has suggested footballers should take "gym classes for the brain," leading former Arsenal and Chelsea player EMMANUEL PETIT to offer to give lessons in "honesty" to the country's politicians, according to Ian Holyman of ESPN.com. Yahoo Sport published extracts of a new book entitled "Un president ne devrait pas dire ca..." [A President shouldn't say that...] in which Hollande "shares his thoughts on footballers, damning their limited intellectual powers." The authors of the book claim Hollande said, "They go from being badly brought up kids to rich stars without preparation. They're not prepared psychologically to know what is right and wrong. The [French Football] Federation should not be organising training sessions, but classes. It's gym classes for the brain." Petit, a former French int'l and World Cup winner, said, "It disappoints me, but doesn't surprise me. For too long now, we athletes, the footballers, have been looked down upon with a lot of condescension by our 'dear' politicians. I'd give them gym classes for the brain and even probity for the political classes. Notably in intellectual honesty." Petit added, "We footballers don't have all the answers. But we create wealth, unlike politicians, who live off the people's money. That's one thing that differentiates us: we don't steal money from people, we earn our money honestly" (ESPN.com, 10/12).
