Beef for Didier Drogba, fish for Sergio Aguero: Nemanja Vidic reveals customised diet before facing rivals

New Delhi: Beef and chicken for Drogba, fish for Aguero — former Manchester United star Nemanja Vidic’s meticulously planned pre-match diet, back in the day, certainly provides food for thought. Vidic, who had earned a reputation as one of the world’s best centre-backs during his days at Old Trafford, was in the country recently to launch the India chapter of Football For Peace. [caption id=“attachment_1522829” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nemanja Vidic. Getty Images[/caption] “I eat more chicken, beef and pasta before the game (when I have to play against (Didier) Drogba but if I play against (Sergio) Aguero I eat fish, you know, right food to maybe lose one or two kilos,” Vidic said, recalling his preparations before lining up against the world’s best in his heydays. Football For Peace, which is supported by the English Premier League and the UK Foreign Office, will identify 10-12 cities in the country as part of its ‘Cities for Peace’ initiative. Asked about the Premier League initiative in India, the 36-year-old central defender from Serbia had good things to say and sounded optimistic about the future of the sport in the country. “I think it’s a good project. Because in Serbia, they still don’t have great facilities. But I think what the Premier League is targeting is helping these coaches to grow and to give the best possible knowledge to these young kids to grow.” “We need India as a nation to play football because if you have players from India I think everyone would be excited to play in the Premier League. I saw these kids, they are very competitive. I think the future is there,” Vidic said during an interview with actor Ranveer Singh, who is a Premier League ambassador in India. Vidic played under the iconic manager Alex Ferguson for more than seven years at United, helping the club win five Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy and several cup competitions, before the Serbian moved to Italy’s Inter Milan in 2014.