There's no point trying to be funny about this item in the News of the World at the weekend. Robert Pires sends his underwear home to his mum to get them blessed by a local priest. Mum then sends the holy pants back to Robert, and he doesn't change them until the team loses.

Arseweb would point out that Pires is a member of the French national side which won the World Cup and Euro 2000, played in the height of a continental summer. Or maybe we shouldn't even go there...

The article does rather tail off though, as it claims 'it will stun Gunners fans to find out Pires would have preferred a move to Real Madrid rather than north London'. Not Arseweb readers - we told you this a week and a half ago.