Key Highlights:
- Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has revealed that the squad has adopted a Dutch card game called Boerenbridge to pass the time during away trips.
- The new pastime replaces their previous locker room favorite, the Spanish board game Parchís.
- The shift in squad leisure activity comes as Mikel Arteta’s team navigates a busy schedule filled with away fixtures across multiple competitions.
Inside the Arsenal Squad: Jurrien Timber Reveals the Team’s New Travel Habit
As Arsenal continue their demanding campaign across domestic and European competitions, the squad has found a fresh way to unwind during their extensive travel schedule. Defender Jurrien Timber recently revealed that the Gunners have developed a new collective obsession on away trips: a traditional Dutch card game known as Boerenbridge.
Life on the road for elite Premier League teams involves long hours on planes, trains, and team buses, alongside extended stays in away hotels. To pass the downtime, the Arsenal squad has frequently turned to group tabletop activities. While traveling together between fixtures, players have taken up the trick-taking Dutch game to keep spirits high and maintain competitive camaraderie away from the pitch.
From Parchís to Boerenbridge: How Arsenal’s Leisure Trends Shifted
The introduction of Boerenbridge marks a noticeable shift in Arsenal’s dressing room culture. Previously, the squad’s go-to leisure activity during road trips was the classic Spanish board game Parchís, which had become a prominent bonding exercise for the players during earlier stages of their development under manager Mikel Arteta.
However, amid a crowded match calendar that requires frequent travel across the United Kingdom and Europe, Timber’s influence appears to have helped transition the group toward Boerenbridge. The Dutch card game—which revolves around predicting the exact number of tricks a player will win in each round—has quickly gained traction and established itself as the new favorite pastime for the traveling squad.
Why This Matters
Team cohesion and dressing room morale are crucial elements for any club competing for top honors across a congested season. For Arsenal, shared downtime games provide a structured, screen-free method for teammates of diverse international backgrounds to bond and relieve matchday pressure. Transitioning smoothly into new shared habits like Boerenbridge highlights the welcoming dynamic and cross-cultural chemistry fostered within the squad as they navigate heavy away schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Boerenbridge, the card game Arsenal players are playing?
Boerenbridge (often translated as “Farmer’s Bridge” or related to Oh Hell) is a popular Dutch trick-taking card game where players must bid on and win an exact number of tricks in successive rounds, requiring strategy, memory, and tactical play.
What game did the Arsenal squad previously play on road trips?
Prior to adopting Boerenbridge, the Arsenal squad frequently passed the time on away journeys by playing the Spanish cross-and-circle board game Parchís.
Who revealed Arsenal’s new away-trip game?
Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber revealed that Boerenbridge has become the new squad favorite during the team’s travels this season.
