Liverpool and Dutch footballer – sorry, soccer player – Ryan Babel (no joke!) has hit back at reports linking him with a move away to Ajax, stating that the English Press had sourced woeful translations (nothing to do with us, thanks) that ultimately created the unfound rumours.

"Howler of Babel" - The liverpool and Holland winger is unimpressed with translations!

When questioned about his intermittent involvement in recent Liverpool games following a big money move to the Merseyside team, the former Ajax winger apparently expressed his desire of a move back to The Netherlands to the Dutch press – according to English newspapers.

He said of the reports:

“I didn’t say any of those things. I did an interview in Holland and I don’t know who in England got hold of it but it was the worst translation I have ever seen.”

Other reported comments that his Manager, Rafa Benitez had also “ruined my (his) World Cup ambitions” were also misrepresented by bungling journalists.

ALS Servce Director for Translation, John Dixon commented: “Bad translations, might help to sell newspapers and create the buzz around the beautiful game, but in general use they can be very damaging if they’re given enough exposure. As best practice, I would always get my translations verified by an experienced, professional translator – or better still, get the translation certified. That said, it was written in the stars for him, of all people, to have a bad translation written about him – I’m sure it won’t be the last!”

The story is exceptionally ironic of course, given the player’s last name – Babel. For those unfamiliar with the story, the ‘Tower of Babel’ was an enormous structure built at the heart of Babylon, and was typified by a confusion of the world’s languages.

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