Thierry Henry says he was surprised that Arsenal involved themselves with the proposed European Super League, but he is happy that fans fought to take their club back.
Arsenal was one of the founding members of the suspended competition and it was embarrassing that they consider themselves a big club on the same level as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Especially because they haven’t qualified for the Champions League since 2017.
Henry says the club has been run like a business for a long time now and he didn’t expect what happened.
He doesn’t know if it was because of greed motivated by the money they would make or if it was a lack of understanding of the core football values by the owners of Arsenal.
He is, however, proud of the fans around the world who fought so hard to ensure that their teams are not involved in a closed shop competition.
Henry told the Telegraph those involved got it ‘badly wrong’.
He said: ‘I do not recognise my club and what happened just now, with them trying to join a league that would have been closed, makes no sense to me. They have been running the club like a company, not a football club, and they showed their hand.
‘Maybe it’s a lack of understanding of the core football values and maybe the money was too big of a temptation. Whatever it was, they got it wrong. Badly wrong.
‘I was genuinely shocked like most people and couldn’t believe what was unfolding. I have never talked before, but what happened recently made me realise fans, this is your club. It is your club and I’m an Arsenal fan too.
‘I’m proud of what the fans achieved. Not just Arsenal fans, all the fans. The result was a victory for football.’