Petr Cech is good goalkeeper, and anyone who thinks otherwise is probably a very stubborn Tottenham fan.
The Czech goalkeeper, currently on international duty with his country at the 2016 Euros, might even be described as a genius by some, and they would technically be correct.
Petr Cech, giving an interview to France Football this week, confirmed rumours that have been going around for quite some time that he has a very high IQ.
Estimated to be above 140 when he was a child, the goalkeeper admitted to the French magazine he still sometimes takes tests just for a laugh, with the latest coming out at 158.
He explained this, however, doesn’t make him a better goalkeeper – “an IQ doesn’t make saves” -, but it certainly helps him in certain areas of preparation, including communication with his teammates.
He said: “Practical intelligence is also essential. I’m incapable of telling you if it’s had an impact on my career. I just know that these advantages have, for example, helped me learn different languages.”
Speaking Czech, French, English, Spanish and German quite competently, the Arsenal shot stopper explained he uses his linguistic talents in game more often than you would think.
He said: “When you need to be precise and quick, I prefer to talk to the defender in his native tongue. The information reaches the brain quicker. It’s up to me to adapt… Gabriel, for example, is Brazilian, his level of English is rather average.
“If I speak to him in English, by the time he understands it, it could be too late… In Spanish, however, I can see he reacts straight away. It’s the same with Mertesacker and German, Koscielny and French or Gibbs and English.”
At Sport Witness, we love interviews like this. They might not be transfer news, but they provide an insight like no other, and we’re all about insight.
