Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has opened up about his dark and traumatic past, when he was conscripted into the Rhodesian Defense Force during Zimbabwe's war of independence.
Grobbelaar's abilities as a player were often overshadowed by a persona that some considered clownish and unprofessional. His spaghetti leg antics in the penalty shootout against Roma in the 1984 European Cup final inspired Jerzy Dudek's similar display in the famous 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. Ta.
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Beneath his personality was a sense of guilt for participating in a brutal civil war.
Grobbelaar admitted in an interview that he had blood on his hands. guardian:
“The first time I went there was at dusk. When the sun goes down, you can see shadows in the bushes. You can hardly tell until you look out the whites of your eyes.
“It's you or them. Shoot, fall, and then there's the overwhelming sound of gunfire.
“I hear voices on our side saying, 'Hey, Corporal, we've been shot.' We whistle to silence them, and we're all killed. When the firefight ends, there are bodies everywhere. I can see it. For the first time, everything in my stomach is coming out of my mouth.”
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Grobbelaar recalled witnessing horrific war crimes committed by his fellow soldiers.
“This man would cut off the ears of every human he killed. He kept the ears in jars. And he had quite a few jars. His family suffered brutal treatment. He wanted revenge because of what he had suffered,'' Grobbelaar explained.
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The former shot-stopper said the war taught him to live in the moment, but he was grateful for the distraction professional football provided.
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he said: [football] It took me away from the dark thoughts of war.
“This is why I've always lived my life for today. All I can say is that I'm sorry about the past. I can't change it.”
Despite fighting for the white minority government in the war, Grobbelaar remains a popular figure in Zimbabwe due to his success on the soccer field.
Zimbabwean fans called him Jungle Man.
“The fans called me Jungle Man. They said this young man was not white. He was a black man wearing white skin.”
Grobbelaar said he remains optimistic about Zimbabwe's future and said he had recently spoken to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“He said, 'Hello Jungle Man, how are you doing?' I'll be there again in November. Like I told him, I want to be an ambassador for sport, recreation and reconciliation. “I still have a lot of hope for Zimbabwe and want to bring about change,” the former keeper said.
The former Zimbabwe international stopper was at the center of allegations of a curse against Liverpool after a witch doctor visited Anfield in the 1980s. Grobbelaar was willing to do whatever it takes to see Liverpool lift their curse.
“I blame the magician who came to Anfield because he put things in my goal and said: 'If you don't have the Jungle Man, you can't win any more,'” he said. They are not.
“The only way [to break the curse] It's about pissing on all four pillars. I did it twice but got caught at Anfield Road and got eliminated.It was then that Liverpool came second. [in 2014]. If we don't win the title this season, I'll be heading down Anfield Road to fill the other two posts. ”
You can read the full interview with Mr. Grobbelaar at the following link: guardian.
