Arsenal: 7 former players who ruined their legacy

chanted his name</a>. He was adored. In all, he spent eight years in north London and made 304 appearances.</p> <p>Despite having been deemed surplus to requirements once by Barcelona, the Catalans renewed interest in Fabregas once his stock had risen. The team that had once let him leave as a teenager suddenly looked at him as one of their own. They wanted him back and pursued him aggressively. In many ways, Barcelona acted in a completely unprofessional manner and disrespected Arsenal. Several examples include:</p> <ul> <li>In 2009 Xavi declared that Fabregas has “Barça DNA” in an interview with the highly-read publication El Mundo Deportivo.</li> <li>Following Spain’s World Cup win in 2010 Gerard Piqué, Pepe Reina, and Carles Puyol jokingly pulled a Barcelona shirt over the head of Fabregas during the team’s celebration while the cameras were rolling.</li> </ul> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115914" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F102836153-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <p>Eventually, Fabregas requested a move back to Spain. While fans were upset, most understood his desire to rejoin his boyhood club. He was still loved by the supporters and even tweeted ‘Once a Gunner, always a Gunner’ on his way out.</p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Once a gunner, always a gunner. Have a good day guys.</p> <p>— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://twitter.com/cesc4official/status/103393370709299200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 16, 2011</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <p>Fabregas returned to Spain in 2011 and his stay lasted only three years. Once again, Barcelona decided he wasn’t needed anymore and looked to move him on. By then Arsenal had Mesut Ozil and Arsene Wenger opted against bringing him back to his former home.</p> <p>Of course, Fabregas wanted to keep playing and no one could begrudge him that. Perhaps we as fans take loyalty too seriously, but Arsenal supporters weren’t prepared for what happened next. Instead of signing for another club in Europe, the one-time Arsenal captain signed with one of the Gunners’ most despised rivals, Chelsea.</p> <p>It felt like a slap in the face. Arsenal fans were upset. The player that had become a star in red and white would now be suiting up for the enemy.</p> <p>Over time, some of the pain has lessened. While he did push through a move back to Spain and did sign for Chelsea, he never spoke badly of Arsenal.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Ashley Cole earns the nickname Ca$hley Cole </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115915" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1043808-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <p><span style="color: inherit;font-size: 20px;font-style: italic;font-weight: bold">Ashley Cole earns the nickname Ca$hley Cole</span></p> <p>Ashley Cole came up through the Arsenal academy before making his first-team debut in 1999, going on to make 228 appearances for the club. In addition, he also became a mainstay in the England squad where he was capped 107 times.</p> <p>Cole was a part of an Arsenal side that won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was also a famed member of the 2003/2004 Invincibles.</p> <p>The event that changed everything and would turn Cole from a hero to a zero took place in June 2005. While under contract with the Gunners, Cole was involved in a tampering scandal involving those from the west. Cole, his agent Jonathan Barnett, then manager José Mourinho, and chief executive Peter Kenyon secretly met at a London hotel to negotiate a contract for Cole. The only problem was that Cole was under contract with Arsenal.</p> <p>When word got out, Cole was found guilty of breach of Premier League rules and he was fined £100,000. Chelsea and the others present at the meeting were also fined for the infraction.</p> <p>A year later Cole released his autobiography in which he expressed anger towards the Arsenal board who he felt had treated him unfairly for his involvement in the tapping up saga. When Arsenal’s team photo was released for the 2006/2007 season, Cole was deliberately left out.</p> <p>Negotiations between Arsenal and Chelsea were ongoing during the summer of 2006 for the defender’s signature with Cole eventually signed for Chelsea at the tail end of the transfer window for a fee of £5m. The deal also included Chelsea defender William Gallas going in the other direction to join the Gunners.</p> <p>As it turned out, Arsenal had offered Cole a longer contract to stay at the club, but he felt slighted by the offer of £55,000 per week. In his autobiography, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/16/seven-sins-football-greed-part-one">Cole stated</a>, “I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.”</p> <p>Arsenal fans felt betrayed and the nickname Ca$hley Cole was born.</p> <p>He went on to have success while at Chelsea but to the Arsenal faithful he will forever be an ungrateful villain guilty of disloyalty and greed.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Emmanuel Adebayor and his legacy of controversy </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115916" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F90624113-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <h2>Emmanuel Adebayor and his legacy of controversy</h2> <p>Striker Emmanuel Adebayor was signed by Wenger from Monaco in January 2006. In his three seasons with the club, he was a prolific scorer with 46 goals in 104 appearances.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Adebayor seemed to thrive on controversy and he ended up leaving north London in contemptuous fashion, joining the newly rich Manchester City for £20m in 2009. The Togo international claimed he was pushed out of the door, but Wenger maintained that the move was driven by money.</p> <p>Wenger later explained that he tried to keep the striker at the club and that he warned Adebayor about his decision. He told the player that the grass isn’t always greener. In addition, he used a bit of tough love that he had used in the past, telling Adebayor that if he left, don’t expect to come back.</p> <p>Emmanuel Adebayor would later label his <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11213396/emmanuel-adebayor-reveals-hate-for-arsenal-and-arsene-wenger-hails-honest-jose-mourinho">former manager as “fake”.</a> He added that he preferred the “honesty” of Mourinho, his manager at Real Madrid.</p> <p>Adebayor did <em>that</em> during his debut season at Manchester City. After scoring against his former side in a 4-2 win at the Eithad, Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal supporters. In addition to angering the fans who once loved him, Adebayor was fined £25,000 for the incident. He would later state that he was justified to behave in this manner.</p> <p>His honeymoon with City eventually ended as he fell down the pecking order under Roberto Mancini. After he had moved on, he described his time at Manchester City as a “headache”.</p> <p>Adebayor sealed his place as persona non grata with the red half of north London when he joined Tottenham.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Laurent Koscielny shows his true colors </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-87113" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1143578460-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Laurent Koscielny" width="590" height="389"></p> <h2>Laurent Koscielny shows his true colors</h2> <p>Laurent Koscielny could have been an Arsenal legend. Unfortunately, he ruined any chance of that with the unprofessional way he pushed through a move away from north London in the summer of 2019.</p> <p>The French defender was signed by Wenger in 2010 from Lorient, becoming a fixture at the center of Arsenal’s defense paired alongside German Per Mertesacker.</p> <p>In addition to his solid defending, he also contributed 27 goals during his nine years in London.</p> <p>Koscielny had one year left on his contract following the 2018-2019 season and was in negotiations with Arsenal for a new deal. Instead of signing a contract extension, he surprised everyone when he announced that he wanted to quit and return to France. The club and the fans were taken aback by this announcement. It would get worse.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/IanWright0/status/1158862518061817859</p> <p>In July 2019, the Gunners traveled to the United States for a pre-season tour.  The club captain refused to travel with his teammates and remained in London as he tried to force through a move.</p> <p>With their hands tied, the Arsenal brass allowed the Frenchman to leave, and he signed for Bordeaux in a £4.6m deal.</p> <p>That alone was bad enough, but the defender made it worse with what he and his new club did next. In what could only be described at its best as tone-deaf or at its worst totally classless, Bordeaux released a video to announce the signing of Koscielny. The clip starts with the Frenchman wearing an Arsenal shirt which he precedes to take off to reveal him now wearing a Bordeaux jersey.</p> <p>That cemented Koscielny’s legacy. Any goodwill that the defender had built up during his nine years at Arsenal was erased. Ian Wright summed up how most fans felt.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Samir Nasri - the mercenary </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115923" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F110259424-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <h2>Samir Nasri – the mercenary</h2> <p>Wenger signed midfielder Samir Nasri from Marseille in the summer of 2008. He was a talented player for Arsenal, but he had the uncanny ability to irritate those around him. He spent three seasons in north London but went on to be a perfect example of the saying “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. “Be careful what you wish for” fits, too.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia"> <div id="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-position="slideshow_inline" data-slot="inline_115909" style="width:300px;margin: 0 auto;"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.defineSlot("/175840252/fansided.com/PainintheArsenal/mpu",[300, 250], "minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet") .addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display("minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet"); }); </script> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Nasri will forever be known as a mercenary to Arsenal fans for choosing the oil money of Manchester City over loyalty to the Gunners. After signing a £24m deal to join the suddenly wealthy Manchester side he poured gasoline onto the fire when <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-fans-not-passionate-says-samir-nasri-2343637.html">he said</a>,</p> <blockquote><p>“The City supporters are really passionate, and it reminds me of Marseille. Arsenal have good fans but they are not that passionate since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates.”</p></blockquote> <p>With this statement, he chose to insult the fans that had once adored him and there was no turning back for the Frenchman.</p> <p>Eventually, the shoe was on the other foot when Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City and had no need for Nasri. The Frenchman moved on and since has played in Spain, Turkey, and Holland along with a brief stint back in the Premier League with West Ham. In 2018 he was hit with doping charges and was banned from the sport for six months.</p> <p>Proving that he doesn’t know when to shut his mouth, Nasri did an <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/22052/new-balance/2016/05/15/23445182/nasri-man-city-were-a-better-team-than-arsenal-thats-why-i">interview with Goal</a> in 2016 where he said:</p> <blockquote><p>“Manchester City were a better team – that’s why I went there. It was my ambition, not because of the money. Whether you’re a fan or not, people should understand that if a bigger company calls you, if you’re ambitious, you’re going to go there.”</p></blockquote> <p>In this same interview, he went on to play the victim when he explained that he didn’t understand the anger that was directed towards him by Arsenal supporters</p> <p>“I became a little hateful because I was like ‘Come on, why are they doing this? I haven’t done anything wrong.”</p> <p>Sorry, Samir, yes you did. You decided to become a mercenary.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Alexis Sanchez - The piano man </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—></p><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115956" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F900091928-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <h2>Alexis Sanchez – The piano man</h2> <p>Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez came to Arsenal in the summer of 2014 from Barcelona. He was an immediate hit and became a fan favorite.</p> <p>Upon signing with the club, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140710/alexis-sanchez-agrees-to-join-arsenal">Sanchez said</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>“So happy to be joining Arsenal, a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London. I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy.”</p></blockquote> <p>Sanchez formed a magnificent partnership with Mesut Ozil. In 2016/2017 Sanchez came in third for the Premier League’s Golden Boot with 24 goals and in his three and half years with the Gunners, the Chilean scored an impressive 80 goals in all competitions while making 166 appearances.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Sanchez was a high maintenance personality that often cared more about his own individual statistics than the team’s results. Sanchez drew the ire of the Arsenal fans when he tried to push through a move to Manchester City in the summer of 2017 and, without a suitable replacement, negotiations between the two clubs broke off.</p> <p>Unable to get his desired move, Sanchez became a divisive figure in the Arsenal dressing room and would often sulk and self isolate from his teammates.</p> <p>By the time the January transfer window opened in 2018, Arsenal was more than happy to see the back of Sanchez. His original suitors, Manchester City, were no longer interested and that’s when Manchester United swooped in.</p> <p>Leaving Arsenal for rivals Manchester United was bad enough, but the way that his new club announced the arrival of Sanchez, was beyond obnoxious.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/955500480582500353</p> <p>In the end, Sanchez was a bust in Manchester. One half of one of football’s very worst transfers. Ever. In two seasons he scored just five goals and was eventually loaned out to Inter where he currently plays.</p> <p>In a video he posted on his Instagram page, Sanchez admitted he made a mistake leaving Arsenal.</p> <blockquote><p>“I want to tell you about my period at United, about many things that have been said which made me look bad,’  ‘Before going there, I had an agreement with Manchester City but it didn’t work out and I got the chance to join Manchester United. It was something nice for me, as a kid I liked the club a lot.</p> <p>“After the first training I had I realised many things. When I got home and I asked my family and my representative: “Can my contract be terminated and can I to return to Arsenal?</p> <p>“They were laughing about it but I really felt there were some bad things going on at the club which I did not like.”</p></blockquote> <p>For the Chilean, it was too little too late. He could have become a legend in north London, but now he’s seen as a greedy and selfish player that cared more about his stats than his teammates.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Robin van Persie - The little boy inside </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115924" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F139943364-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"></p> <h2>Robin van Persie – The little boy inside</h2> <p>Robin van Persie was signed by Arsenal from Feyenoord in May 2004. He would go on to become a star for the club. In his eight seasons in north London, Van Persie scored 132 goals in 278 appearances. He became a fan favorite and the Gunners’ main striker after the departure of Thierry Henry in 2008.</p> <p>The Dutchman signed a new long-term contract with the club in 2009 and when it was announced, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/jul/08/robin-van-persie-arsenal-contract#:~:text=Van%20Persie%20also%20suggested%20he,myself%20in%20a%20different%20shirt.&amp;text=%22It%20is%20fantastic%20news%20that,all%20delighted%2C%22%20said%20Wenger.">Van Persie said</a>, “My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt.”</p> <p>Van Persie’s most prolific season with the Gunners took place in 2011/2012 when the club captain scored 37 goals in all competitions. He was the winner of the Premier League Golden Boot with 30 goals. He was unreal.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/ESPNUK/status/1397916970784223236</p> <p>Following that season van Persie announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal and he wanted to leave the club. Though Wenger tried to keep his talisman, Van Persie eventually signed a four-year £24m deal to join the much-hated rivals, Manchester United.</p> <p>At his initial press conference with United, van Persie explained the reason for his move to Manchester:</p> <blockquote><p>“It is always quite difficult to find a perfect match but I do feel that this is perfect for me. Manchester United breathe football and if you look at all the players, the stadium and the manager, my choice was made very soon in my mind if you were basing it on those two clubs.</p> <p>“I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations – when you have to make the harder decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United.”</p></blockquote> <p>That hurt. Gooners have never let him forget that statement about the little boy inside him.</p> <p>Van Persie got what he wanted in his first season with United as they won the 2012/2013 Premier League title. When Alex Ferguson announced his retirement at the end of that campaign, the news caught Van Persie off guard. He spent two more seasons in Manchester before finishing out his career with Fenerbahce and his former boyhood club Feyenoord.</p> <p>In a <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://talksport.com/football/547538/robin-van-persie-sorry-arsenal-manchester-united/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAt%20crucial%20moments%20you%20have,hurt%20people%20I'm%20sorry.">2019 interview</a> with the BBC, van Persie sort of offered an apology to the Arsenal fans that he may have hurt.</p> <blockquote><p>“At crucial moments you have to make tough decisions. It was a very tough decision and I get that fans were angry as I was the captain and top scorer. Sometimes you feel like you need a challenge and new adventure. If I hurt people I’m sorry. I made that decision and I stand by it.”</p></blockquote> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Buendia for less than £40m" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/arsenal-buendia-transfer-less-40m/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/7-former-arsenal-players-ruined-legacy/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/31/arsenal-buendia-transfer-less-40m/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Buendia for less than £40m </a> </div> </div> <p>The “apology” seemed hollow and didn’t change how the Gunners faithful view their one-time hero. He’s still a Judas.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">