Eccentric, arrogant, obdurate

Courtesy of CAS Trust, I reproduce below an extract from President Duchatelet's recent interview about the social functions of football:

At Charlton, fans are turning on you. How annoying was the playful protest that disturbed your birthday lunch?

Roland: That was very unpleasant.

Marieke: “There is not much we can do about it. It has started to live a life of its own. Roland is the scapegoat. It does not matter any longer whether he does something well or something bad. He is the symbol of their protest.

Roland: Supporters can have a say in the logistics, like how the beer should be served. If they want to choose instead of the board or the manager, than things go wrong. They first picked on Katrien Meire (general manager at Charlton). When I continued to back her up, they turned against me. A sort of witch hunt. Sociologically very interesting, but it has gone too far. Especially because they are bothering me personally.

Q: Why do you then not simply give in and leave Charlton for what it is?

Roland: “I never give in to blackmail. I can determine myself what is good for the club.

We knew it already, but it's confirmation: eccentric, arrogant, obdurate.