Schumacher just loves to take corners

"My ideal day is one spent with the family when I feel that the world has slowed down,'' said the five-time world champion of his wife Corinna and infant children Gina Maria and Mick. "I can really relax. In the evening I often play football. I love days like this. They let me feel that we are a family like any other. Our weekends are organised around my games of football. I play for several teams, one after the other.''

When 34-year-old Schumacher says he plays often, he means it. Home is a modern villa called La Domaine de la Chenaie in Vufflens-le-Chateau, near Nyon, overlooking Lake Geneva in Switzerland. When he is there he turns out for training every Tuesday with the local village team in Echichens. Afterwards he has pizza and a beer with the other players and their coach, coincidentally a chap by the name of Patrick Ferrari.

On match days Schumacher does not care which team he plays for - he has played for the first team, the second team and the veterans. He has even played for all three in one afternoon. Nor is he fussy where he plays, although he prefers the role of an attacking midfielder.

When he is at work in Italy he plays for the Nazionale Pilote, a team of former and still active motor sportsmen. When he is at races he plays in charity and exhibition games at the start of each race weekend. The crowning event each season takes place in Monaco, and is so star-studded, it is broadcast live on Eurosport.

ITV's Formula One anchorman Jim Rosenthal has played against Schumacher in pre-race weekend matches, the most recent of which was 11 days ago, before the French Grand Prix.

"Schumacher always plays in these games,'' said Rosenthal. "I can remember last year in France the game was played in boiling heat, with players staggering off in various states of distress. Michael went through the whole thing without a bead of sweat on his face, and that was three days before he wrapped up the 2002 world title.

"I've seen his brother Ralf play, and he has about as much football sense as a corner flag. But Michael is terrific. He curled in a free-kick off the post against us this time. I'd be lying if I said he should have been a professional but he's very good, confident and clever on the ball.

"In a situation where he might get hurt, he doesn't ask any favours and doesn't get any. I've made a couple of rather blinkered challenges on him not realising who it was, but he's probably more liable to get hurt just wandering around the paddock. The other day he pulled me back by my shirt which I thought was a bit much when I'm giving him 20 years. He always gives his shirt to one of the local kids at the end. My estimation of him goes up a few more notches every time I see him at these games.''

Football was Schumacher's first great sporting love. Amusingly his hero was Harald 'Toni' Schumacher (no relation), the West Germany goalkeeper notorious for his horror tackle on French defender Patrick Battiston during the 1982 World Cup semi-final.

"Toni Schumacher played for FC Cologne, which is my team,'' said his motor-racing namesake. "I always wanted to be like him. I took my football very seriously, especially between the ages of 12 and 15 when I copied him and played in goal all the time.

"As a child, I always wanted to play football. I had no fantasies about grand prix racing. I just raced karts at the weekend for fun. But I wasn't good enough at football and spent most of the time on the bench. Now I'm at least at the point where I can reasonably hold my own.''

Growing up in the town of Kerpen near Cologne, it was always clear which team Michael would support. Last November he fulfilled a lifetime ambition of training with the first team, reflecting wistfully afterwards: "The only way I'd get a run-out with them would be as a mascot.''

But his love of FC Cologne is strangely cool-blooded. He said: "I like watching football, get excited when FC Cologne are playing and cheer when they score a goal. But I would never go to the stadium to collect autographs. That was never important to me, even as a child. Fanaticism is alien to me.''

So playing will always be Schumacher's passion.

"When I get on the pitch at Echichens, I am sometimes more excited than when I get into my Formula One car. I also have to concentrate harder than when I am driving.

"During a race I always have something in reserve. But playing football, I have barely anything to spare. The problem is I am not very good at it.''