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News of the World came yesterday with a Robin van Persie interview. They say it's exclusive, but it's not. It's the English translation of the interview that Robin gave to Dutch magazine Helden a few months ago. But it's still nice for you to read. It's a double interview with Robin and Bouchra.
ARSENAL have a secret weapon in their quest to end their four-year run without a trophy - US President Barack Obama.
America's leader has become a significant figure in manager Arsene Wenger's team talks. Dutch striker Robin van Persie is also fascinated by Obama's incredible success and admits he is trying to copy the great man's demeanour.
So, can Arsenal win the title next season? In the words of Obama himself: Yes they can. Van Persie is reading Obama's autobiography. And he declared: "I want to know more about the man.
"Obama was always calm. Whenever Presidential rival John McCain shouted and screamed, Obama remained in control.
"I try to do the same - if someone provokes me, I don't react. That's the best way. Manager Arsene Wenger has introduced Obama's 'Yes we can' philosophy into the dressing room.
"Nothing is impossible. No one would have said a few years ago that a black man could be US President. No one thinks that Arsenal, with our budget, can win trophies."
The Gunners have been potless since they beat Manchester United to win the 2005 FA Cup. But Wenger believes Obama's influence can provide the missing spark.
Van Persie added: "Wenger is interested in other sports, other leaders. In his team talk before a match he'll always quote someone new, Obama one time, basketball star Michael Jordan the next, then tennis player Justine Henin.
"And Wenger loathes excess. We fly to games in an ordinary plane, not a luxury jet. Air conditioning in hotels is banned, because it's bad for sportsmen. We're not even allowed a fridge.
"All drinks have to be at room temperature - ice-cold drinks are bad for you. These are things that could make that one per cent difference. And as you get older it's the small things that make the difference. But those last few percentage points are the hardest to achieve."
The last four years have been hard on the 25-year-old. He has a framed picture of himself lifting the FA Cup - but none of him with the Premier League or Champions League trophies.
However, his lavish North London home he shares with wife Bouchra and two-year-old son Shaqueel is a shrine to his career and his passion for the beautiful game. A pair of decrepit old boots are pinned to the wall next to a light switch; framed football pictures adorn one wall; a baby's Arsenal shirt affectionately inscribed with the word 'Papa' hangs on another.
There are pictures of Maradona, framed newspaper cuttings and a lifesize poster of Van Persie himself. His bespoke pool table has his own picture imprinted in the baize playing surface. And in another room more than 60 shirts belonging to team-mates and opponents hang from the ceiling - illuminated by a lightbulb engulfed in a football lampshade.
There's Cristiano Ronaldo's. There's Kaka's. They are currently the world's two greatest players - and Van Persie craves that crown. He insisted: "I want to become the best player in the world.
"I find it hard to sleep after a game and I'll get up and write notes about how I played. I study all my matches and am a very harsh critic of myself. I haven't yet reached the level I am capable of. If I were a true world-beater, I would have been voted the best player in Europe, I would have trophies.
"If our team had won the Champions League, the Premier League or the FA Cup maybe I'd have been a candidate for such an award. Only then could I say I'd reached the top - and that's not the case yet.
"But I see the potential at Arsenal. We have to do it. One fact which aggravates me is that in the five years I've been at Arsenal, we've won exactly the same number of trophies as I did at Feyenoord - ONE - that's not enough. When I arrived here, Arsenal were winning trophies for fun.
"But, if everyone is fit, we have a heck of a team and it's up to me to ensure we go out and win these trophies."
Wenger is desperate for Van Persie to sign a new contract. And the player admitted: "I'm not in negotiations with any other club - just Arsenal. I want to become the best player in the world. My career will only be a success when I consider myself the best. Anything less, won't do."
To that aim, Van Persie has added yoga to his weekly training regime and has banned red meat and alcohol from his diet.
At former club Feyenoord he would have a McDonald's and Coke for breakfast! He said: "The first first time I took Bouchra to dinner was to McDonalds, not some fancy restaurant. We got some burgers from the drive-in and sat in the car talking."
Now he is very careful what he puts in his body. He insisted: "My health is important to me. Every season I've had one or two injuries and I've learned that prevention is better than cure.
"Too often players adhere to a training programme without considering whether it's right for them. I need to know why I'm doing a certain exercise. I ask everyone - physios, osteopaths, surgeons. I often had cramp at the end of a game, muscle pains. Our osteopath advised me to stop eating meat.
"I love steak! But I stopped eating meat for a week and noticed the difference immediately. I recovered more quickly. During the season I don't poison my body with alcohol. I know some of the lads in England enjoy a beer. But you'll see those players aren't quite as fast after five years as those who abstain.
"When you get older you look for the little things that can help to make you better. I do yoga once a week and it helps me a lot."
Van Persie is calm and content now. The giant winged hand grenade emblazoned on his T-shirt is the only reminder of his explosive past. He had disciplinary problems at Feyenoord and was dumped in the reserves before his £2.75million move to Arsenal.
His temper was also blasted by Wenger following his red card for an outrageous tackle on Southampton defender Graeme Le Saux at St Mary's in 2005.
And four years ago his marriage almost ended when he was held behind bars for two weeks in his native Holland after a 21-year-old pole-dancer falsely accused him of rape.
The Gunners ace cleared his name, was released without charge and in an interview in new Dutch magazine Heroes he admits: "The affair strengthened our relationship rather than damaged it. And I've come to realise how important Bouchra is to me and what I want out of life.
"We had a long chat about it and we're not concerned about what outsiders say. And, no, I was not mistreated in prison. There was one individual who was a bully but everyone there thought it was unfair that I was being held.
"Wenger was always very positive in his dealings with me. In my quest to be a better person and a better footballer, he has always given me good advice, always helped me, even then. It gave me strength and I'll never forget it."
Bouchra added: "Robin made a mistake, a big one. It would have been easy to leave him. It sounds odd - but I would have regarded that course of action as sinful.
"Robin was foolish, but he is no rapist. What Robin and I have is very special. I don't think I could find anyone else quite like him. We all make mistakes. It may sound strange - but after the affair we became a lot stronger.
"My mother used to say: 'Don't go out with a footballer, they're not serious people'. But they love him now. Robin is special from the moment he enters the stadium to the moment he leaves. During that time he is the world-famous footballer, a role model for many young people. But at home he's part of a normal family, my husband and Papa Robin."
Since the incident the couple - who are expecting their second child - do not go to nightclubs any more.
Van Persie added: "It's not like I don't go out in order to avoid problems. I just prefer being at home. Football takes me away from home for long enough and why should I require alcohol?
"What's the point of going to a club until 3am? It would only mean I wouldn't get enough sleep. The most important things in my life are Bouchra, my son, my family and football.
"Many still see me as the troublemaker I was at Feyenoord. In Rotterdam I went out a lot and had a good time. I struggled with my 'bad-boy' image.
"I've stopped the merry-making. I fell in with the wrong crowd. I don't want to blame anyone - but sometimes you need help. At Arsenal I've discovered how a professional club is run."
All he needs now is a title-winning picture of him to hang on his wall.
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As you may have noticed, it's very quiet on the site this month. Robin is on a holiday and Arsenal will start with the new season in a few weeks. In the meantime, we added all the photos of this season to our new gallery.
There are many rumours about Robin's new contract at the moment. As soon as Arsenal will make it official, we will bring it to you on this site.
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We used various sources for our news and updates this season. We would like to thank these websites. All sources that we used for the news section will be scrapped from the list at the beginning of the new season. All the sources that we use for things like photos and match reports will stay. We will add new sites to the list every month just like last season.
We would like to thank:
www.onsoranje.nl, www.nos.nl, www.sportwereld.nl, www.telegraaf.nl, www.nusport.nl, www.vi.nl, www.sportweek.nl, www.elfvoetbal.nl, www.soccernews.nl, www.voetbalprimeur.nl, www.arsenal.com, www.bbc.co.uk, www.skysports.com, www.setantasports.com, www.reuters.com, www.dailymail.co.uk, www.telegraph.co.uk, www.mirror.co.uk, www.guardian.co.uk, www.sportinglife.com, www.goal.com, www.gettyimages.com, www.anp-photo.com, www.fotoleovogelzang.nl, www.sportfotografie.nl, www.orangepictures.nl, www.fotosmulders.nl, www.foto-janssen.nl, www.yourhosting.nl, www.flickr.com, www.youtube.com, www.bndestem.nl, www.voetbalzone.nl, www.trouw.nl, www.nrc.nl, www.hln.be, www.sport1.nl, www.voetbalsterren.startpagina.nl, www.premiershiplatest.com, www.uefa.com, www.fifa.com, www.thefa.com, www.teamtalk.com, www.soccerway.com, www.netherlands.worldcupblog.org, www.walesonline.co.uk, www.beagoonerbeagiver.org, www.tribalfootball.com, www.theherald.co.uk.
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Robin played his last match of the season yesterday. It means that he can enjoy his holiday now. It will be very quiet at this site in the next month. But you'll never know what will happen in football world. So keep visiting our site.
We think that Arsenal will start their training in the week of July 6. The first match is on July 18 against Barnet.
We wish Robin, Bouchra and Shaqueel a happy holiday!
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Robin is voted to ING Man of the Match by the Dutch supporters. The Arsenal striker got 20 % of the votes, the same as Rafael van der Vaart but Robin had a few more votes. The other two strikers Kuyt and Robben got 17 & 15 % of the votes.
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Robin van Persie had a big smile on his face after the match against Norway. The striker was very happy with the performance of the Dutch national team.
"If you see how we play, everyone wants to play the ball in the same direction. Van Bommel and Schaars, but also Ooijer and Mathijsen. We all want to build up a goal. They always try to pass the ball to me, Robben, Van der Vaart or Kuyt. That's fantastic for us. It's not by accident how we handle the ball. We train a lot with passes and strikes."
Van Persie is also happy with the Dutch manager. "He knows what he wants and he's very clear in his vision on us and the team. Specially the last thing is very nice."
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Holland maintained their 100 per cent record in Group 9 with a 2-0 win over Norway in Rotterdam.
The Dutch, who booked their place in next summer's World Cup finals at the weekend with victory in Iceland, secured their seventh win in qualifying thanks to goals from Andre Ooijer and Arjen Robben.
Holland broke the deadlock on 33 minutes when former Blackburn defender Ooijer headed home Rafael van der Vaart's free kick.
Real Madrid winger Robben grabbed a second six minutes after the break with a precise finish from an acute angle after a beautiful turn from Robin va.
The defeat leaves Norway rooted to the bottom of the group with only three points from five games.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg, Heitinga, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst (Braafheid 46), Van Bommel, Schaars, Van Persie (Huntelaar 83), Van der Vaart, Robben (Babel 78), Kuyt.
Subs not used: Timmer, Van der Wiel, Mendes da Silva, De Zeeuw.
Goals: Ooijer 33, Robben 51.
Norway: Knudsen, Hoiland, Waehler, Winsnes (Tettey 79), Fevang, J.A. Riise, B.H. Riise (Braaten 42), Hauger, Carew, Pedersen, Grindheim (Skjelbred 67).
Subs not used: Jarstein, Ruud, Bertelsen, Huseklepp.
Booked: Pedersen, Grindheim.
Att: 45000.
Ref: Yuri Baskakov (Russia).
www.skysports.com
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Robin van Persie is confident Arsenal have identified a quality player in Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen.
The Belgium international is said to be closing in on a move to the Gunners, with latest reports suggesting he is set for a medical.
Holland striker Van Persie has welcomed the club's decision to bolster their defence and is sure 23-year-old Vermaelen will prove a successful capture.
"It's a good thing," Van Persie told De Telegraaf. "There's nothing wrong with the qualities of Vermaelen. He can play as left-back and central defender and we need this type of player.
"The guys that we now have on those positions are already somewhat older.
"Our head scout does and he doesn't do such a thing out of the blue. He needs to see a player 30 to 40 times before a decision is made."
www.skysports.com
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Holland have become the first European team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after a 2-1 win in Iceland.
Bert van Marwijk's side have enjoyed an exemplary qualifying campaign and made it six wins from six games to clinch top spot in Group 9.
The two-time runners-up were always in control against Iceland, who had lost 2-0 in Rotterdam back in October.
Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong set the Dutch on their way to victory by heading home the opener on nine minutes.
His midfield cohort Mark van Bommel doubled the lead on 16 minutes before Iceland scored a late consolation through Kristjan Orn Sigurdsson.
In securing the win, Holland have joined Asian qualifiers Australia, Japan and South Korea in booking their tickets to South Africa next summer.
Scotland remain in a strong position to take the runners-up spot in the group after Macedonia and Norway played out a 0-0 draw in the other game on Saturday.
Aston Villa striker John Carew wasted Norway's best chance, while Macedonia's leading light Goran Pandev was denied by visiting keeper Jon Knudsen.
Norway stay bottom of the group and without a win in four games, while Scotland have a three-point cushion over Iceland and Macedonia.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg, Heitinga, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst, De Jong (Mendes da Silva 80), Van Bommel, Van Persie, Van der Vaart (Babel 76), Robben, Kuyt (Huntelaar 67).
Subs not used: Timmer, Van der Wiel, Braafheid en Schaars.
Booked: De Jong.
Goals: De Jong 8, Van Bommel 15.
Iceland: Gunnleifsson, Saevarsson, Eiriksson (Smarason 75), I. Sigurdsson, Steinsson, Hreidarsson, Gislason (A. Gunnarsson 67), Gudjohnsen, Palmason, Danielsson (B. Gunnarsson 45).
Subs not used: Arason, S. Jonsson, R. Sigurdsson, E. Jonsson.
Booked: Sigurdsson, Hreidarsson, Gislason, Gunnarsson.
Goals: Sigurdsson 87.
Att: 10,000.
Ref: Michael Dean (England).
www.skysports.com
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Dutch TV station NOS and the website OnsOranje.nl both made a compilation of today's training session. The language is Dutch, but we thought that it would be nice for you to see Robin train. That's why we publice the videos also on the English part of this site. You can watch the NOS video here and the video from OnsOranje here.
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There's a video at Youtube where Robin talks about his parents, specially the artistic side of their life and the influence of that on Robin's youth. We add the video to our Youtube channel. You can watch it here.
If you have a Youtube account, you can subscribe to our Youtube channel.
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Robin van Persie is fit for the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The Arsenal striker removed his wisdom teeth last week in a clinic in Paris. Dutch manager Bert van Marwijk spoke to him on Saturday. He said that it went well with Robin and that he's fit for the next two matches which will be this Saturday and next Wednesday.
The Dutch squad gather today in Noordwijk and have their first training in Katwijk this afternoon.
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