Football pundit once ate a rat on live TV after losing Cesar Azpilicueta bet
Cesar Azpilicueta has brought the curtain down on his Chelsea career after 11 years, with fans reminded of his involvement in a wager that saw one pundit eat a rat
Ratatouille was given new meaning after a poorly judged bet involving Cesar Azpilicueta went against a French pundit.
Veteran defender Azpilicueta is back in the news this week after it was confirmed he'll leave Chelsea on a free transfer to join Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard returns to La Liga after 11 successful years in west London, where he won a Champions League title, two Premier League crowns, an FA Cup, two Europa League medals and more.
However, it was in the early stages of his days with Marseille that Azpilicueta was the subject of a bet by French football pundit Eric di Meco. Himself a former full-back at the Stade Velodrome, Di Meco wagered the Osasuna academy product would never feature in a starting XI for Spain.
Not only that, but the RMC Sport personality was so confident that he promised to eat a rat live on air should he be proved wrong.
It took a few years and one transfer to Stamford Bridge, but 'Dave' eventually got his moment for La Roja. He went on to play the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 friendly win over Qatar, having earned rave reviews from Vicente del Bosque, who was in charge of the national team at the time.
Azpilicueta fully deserved the call-up, too, after proving himself a valuable asset on either side of the defence. He's since come to star in a more central position for Chelsea in recent seasons, which is where Diego Simeone might have a place in mind for the Spaniard.
As for Di Meco, the former Monaco and Nancy defender lived up to his word by chowing down on a rodent in the RMC studio. Granted, the 'coypu' - or 'river rat' - appeared to have been expertly prepared and served with a side of potatoes, but the former left-back deserved his praise nonetheless.
It's fair to say in this very literal battle of 'man or mouse', Di Meco walked away with his dignity intact. Sort of.
Clearly a glutton for punishment (and tailed critters), only one year passed before Di Meco laid another wager and again offered to eat a rat as his forfeit. This time, the 59-year-old bet free agent Benjamin Mendy - who has been on trial in Chester accused of rape - would never earn a call-up for France.
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| Di Meco lost a bet that Azpilicueta would never be part of a Spain starting XI (Image: RMC Sport) |
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| The former left-back was a man of his word (Image: RMC Sport) |
Again, it was three years later that the bet lost. At some point, you might just have to admit you may like rat.
Despite coming into the squad at a time when Del Bosque's side were the reigning world champions and arguably the best international team of all time, Azpilicueta achieved little for Spain. The utility star earned 46 caps for his country, but runner-up finishes in the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2021 UEFA Nations League final represented the peak of his achievements.
The same can't be said of his career in Chelsea blue, however, as fans mourn the departure of a loyal servant.
Okeke George Chijioke
When you don't see Okeke George blogging, he sure will engage him self in sporting activities.
