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Am I that stupid?
There’s a famous interaction of a Dutch football coach, Louis van Gaal, with a journalist where he asks the journalist:
“Am I that brilliant, or are you that stupid?”
Press conferences with Louis van Gaal were never boring. Whenever he was behind a microphone, one could expect fireworks. He didn’t hold back. Even when being a Manchester United coach not gifted with great English language skills, he did not hold back.
“The media likes me because I give honest answers. How many people in football give honest answers? I won’t lie. Always the truth. OK, maybe my truth. But it is the truth.” ~ Louis van Gaal
Without any shame, he translated Dutch sayings into English, self-confident and unwilling to admit that some of these sayings didn’t translate well.
Example: “That’s another cook.” It’s Dutch, which means that not every cookie (koekje) is the same. He meant to say that playing a match in the Champions League is different from playing a Premier League game.
One more.
“We are running after the facts.”
