They call football the universal language but that was not the case for Lucas Paqueta and David Moyes at West Ham.
One of the reasons football is the beautiful game is because anyone, from any country and background can play together and understand one another even if they don’t speak the same language.
But for West Ham, playing at the top level where nuances of tactics can be vital, being able to converse is important.
Especially with so many different nationalities in the Hammers squad.
One player who has admitted struggles with the language is arguably West Ham’s best – Lucas Paqueta.
The universal of language of football
The Brazilian magnifico did vow to keep taking lessons so he could better communicate with his West Ham teammates and staff.
In the meantime Paqueta has had fellow Portuguese-speaking Brazil-born teammate and friend Emerson Palmieri to help translate for him.
Paqueta shocked fans with his markedly improved grasp of English in an interview earlier this season.
But now a West Ham star has shared a hilarious misunderstanding between David Moyes and Paqueta.
Paqueta opens up on language struggles
It’s fair to say Paqueta initially struggled to adapt during the early days at West Ham.
And in a video released on the club’s YouTube channel Emerson recalls how the initial conversation between Scotsman Moyes and Paqueta went over where he should play.
“Survivor mode (level English), that’s my goal now,” Paqueta told Brazilian influencer Fred Bruno in his native tongue when talking about the language barrier.
“Sometimes I die! When Emerson is not around, forget it! I get anxious, look around and think ‘what do I have to say?’
Hilarious misunderstanding between Moyes and Paqueta
“Man, I think if somebody was to record me I would be embarrassed for the amount of (times I say) ‘Yeah’ and ‘Good’. Someone could say ‘Do you want to die?’ and I’d say ‘Yeah, yeah, good, good’!”
Emerson then interjects to tell the story of Paqueta’s misunderstanding with his Glaswegian manager.
“But the best part was was when the coach asked him ‘Do you prefer to play here, or there’ (pointing to different positions on the tactics board). And Paqueta goes like ‘Yeah’.”
“And he was like ‘OK but here or there’ And I was like ‘Yeah’,” Paqueta adds laughing.
“(I just said) I can play all positions, so I can go earlier (from the conversation)!”