yes you do..... if you go to work in japan etc as many guys do you'll find you are told. i worked with a guy who was fluent and thats how he learned...
but i take the point.... a footballer is not employed on the basis of any brain power.
Fluency can take decades, and many people technically aren't even fluent in their native langauage. A conversational understanding is attainable in several months though.
[HASHTAG]#pedant[/HASHTAG]
But footballers don't all need to be like Valdes delivering inspirational speeches to the U21s he's playing with


