…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Julien Faubert’s 2009 loan move from West Ham United to Real Madrid remains one of the most bizarre transfer deals of all time.
Despite only making two appearances for Los Blancos during his six-month stint in Spain, Faubert infamously made headlines when he was photographed ‘sleeping’ on the Real Madrid bench.
In an interview with Ladbrokes Fanzone, Faubert reflected on the incident and how it served as a “welcome to Madrid” moment for him.
He also revealed the advice he received from veteran players Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michel Salgado on how to handle the media spotlight in the Spanish capital.
The Sleeping Incident
During a match against Villarreal, Faubert was caught on camera briefly slumping back in his chair and closing his eyes.
According to Faubert, the Spanish media took this as an opportunity to portray him as having ‘fallen asleep’ on the bench.
The incident became one of the most memorable moments of Faubert’s time in Madrid, but he admits that he was a “rookie” when it came to dealing with the media.
Welcome to Madrid
Despite the media storm surrounding the sleeping incident, Faubert’s Real Madrid teammates took it in stride.
They knew that the photos were not an accurate representation of the situation and simply welcomed Faubert to Madrid.
However, veteran players Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michel Salgado took the opportunity to offer Faubert some advice.
They warned him that in Madrid, he was never truly alone, and that he needed to be careful with everything he did outside of his home.
Return to West Ham
After his loan spell with Real Madrid, Faubert returned to West Ham, where he was subjected to plenty of jokes from his teammates.
Carlton Cole was particularly amused by the incident and teased Faubert about whether he should now be addressed as “sir.” Even in training, Mark Noble would make jokes about having a Real Madrid player on the team.
Conclusion
Julien Faubert’s loan move to Real Madrid may have been brief, but it will always be remembered for the infamous ‘sleeping’ incident.
However, Faubert himself sees the funny side of the situation and acknowledges that he was inexperienced when it came to dealing with the media.
Despite the initial embarrassment, he received some valuable advice from veteran players and was ultimately able to move on from the incident.
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