There have been many rumours about whether Arsene Wenger decided to leave Arsenal (according to the official stance) or whether he was sacked (according to Jack Wilshere), but now Laurent Koscielny’s agent has revealed exactly how angry his client was when he heard the news about Wenger, and how his first reaction was that he would also leave at the same time.
Stéphane Courbis told France Football: “When he banged the floor with his hand, I immediately knew that it was serious, that it was over. Everything at that moment went through my mind, including the worst, which was validated when it emerged that it was an Achilles rupture and that he would miss the World Cup. Laurent was perhaps playing the final matches of his Arsenal career.
“He started thinking about a possible departure from Arsenal at the same time as Arsène Wenger. It was the right moment, the final moment to leave with the arrival of the new manager. I had already anticipated this, with two or three offers that were starting to make us think.
“We were open to different options, China as much as France. He could not see himself playing for another English team other than Arsenal. Since the approach from Marseille least season, the notion of returning to Ligue 1 entered his thinking. It was a genuine possibility.”
We all know that Koss The Boss has always praised Wenger for taking him from the obscurity of Ligue 2 to play for Arsenal, and he has always stayed extremely loyal to Wenger. But it sounds like it was a big shock to him when he was told Le Prof was leaving (sacked?) and his immediate response was to leave with him.
So his extended injury at the end of the season must have put his plans all up in the air again. Is it because of Koscielny’s loyalty to Wenger that Emery has made it clear he will still be captain?
Admin
Sell him, Mkhitaryan and Özil to China next summer. We might even make a profit! They can afford them.
When the media started to float the idea that Arsene has lost the dressing room and the players are no longer listening, Koscielny took that personally as did Mert, they got the team together and put it all out in the open. The media was wrong of course and I think that was the season we went on to win our first bit of silverware in a very long time. Koscielny is truly one of those players who wears his heart on his sleeve, he seems an emotional guy and an all round decent bloke. I can imagine himself being very much effected by Arsene’s removal. Koscielny is at the end of his AFC career as too Monreal. I would’ve liked it if we had replaced them this season but we didn’t get the funds.
Too bad the “fans” will never be even 1% as loyal to the club as the actual players. I give the fans 2 months before they start descending into hysterics and attacking their own club. Most pointless, spineless, self-defeating, mindless fans on the planet. How does demoralizing and undermining your own team improve performances? Don’t ask, it’s just important that fans are allowed to express themselves–just don’t ever ask them to actually support the team.
Oh like seriously?……. Loyal players? ….you mean the players are more loyal to the club than the fans that spend their hard earned money following them across the world… You speak of loyal players who love the club and then I’m yet to see one not just in arsenal but all over the world
Do you know who a loyal player is?
Let me tell you..
A loyal player or a player who loves a club so much is the one who had the courage to refuse to be paid his wages for a week after coming out from an embarrassing 5-0,6-0,6-1,3-0(back to back defeats like man city),5-1(back to back defeats like Bayern that season) defeats…….that’s a loyal player
Totally correct @Chiza. Maybe @Stephan Larose cannot differentiate between constructive and negative criticisms. A fan can bad-mouth his favorite team, but the huge amount of money and time spent on the team reveal the fan’s love
The players got millions from their club, but still walk away once bigger offers come. Whereas the loyal fans will be stuck forever at Arsenal, no matter how foul their mouths are
We spent our time and money on Arsenal for years (instead of spending them on our families), so it is normal if we get disappointed when the team is not entertaining
So whenhas Kos (the subject of this post) threatened to walk away from the club over money?
This dope Cheza thinks that Kos banging his hand on the ground was because Wenger had announced his retirement weeks ago?
Could it not have been because he ruptured his achilles tendons?
If your admitting you have spent money on your self rather than your family, then you should take a look in the mirror rather than trying to belittle a player who has stayed loyal to the club.
Loyal player is Tony Adams who said he’d sign contract if Arsenal put it in front of him.
Meanwhile”loyal” Ramsey says his agents are working on it. After 10 years of loyalty showed to him by club, he continues to hold out for what?
Money. It’s cash not loyalty.
Durand, couldnt have said it better.
I guess because comfort zone is totally gone…. And maybe he was enjoying the so many away defeats here and there…. You know i heard Koscielny was one of the senior players that always cried in the dressing room..and then we go into the field in the next match and lose again
OH BRILLIANT from Koss the boss!!!
So Chiza, please tell us all where you heard Kos cried in the dressing room?
If it’s true, does that make him a lesser man or footballer?
Why try and ridicule someone with accusations that you cannot verify?
Never heard this before, so it would be really interesting to know where your information comes from.
By the way, just do me a favour and check on this man’s history of achievements in the footballing world.
Safety zone? Enjoying away defeats? What planet do you actually live in?
Are these the kind of objectives you set yourself in life, so easily identify?
Just hope you achieve as much in your life as Kos has so far in his.
This man was loyal to the club despite many rumoured offers to move away.
I’d rather have a man of his principle any day over someone like Judas RVP or Sanchez and if / when he regains full fitness, he will walk back into our team.
No one should call Van Persie ungrateful…and I repeat no one…… If you don’t know…the season Van Persie left the club..he really never wanted to…it wasn’t in him to leave arsenal…..after losing so many key players he had the courage to come up against Wenger and ask the club where they were heading to.. He demanded to see the transfer list and the players wenger wanted… Those players wenger wanted to buy never encouraged him to stay… He is a footballer who is from Netherlands and not England…he is no Gerrard who is from England and started his career with Liverpool…he wanted to win the premier league after staying so many years in the premier league……he wanted to show off a premier medal after so many years…look I would never ever insult Van Persie just because he left a club that didn’t show ambition……by the way what has koscielny achieved in his career… Three fa cups and community shields???….. What an achievement……..phil trust me I’m going to achieve more in my music field..
You claim koscielny is loyal to arsenal.. Loyal my foot…… And then you are banging the floor just because a manager who hasn’t done his job is going….and then you are thinking about leaving with him just because he was the one that made you famous….. Phil for God’s sake that shows where his loyalty lies…his loyalty is with Wenger and not with arsenal…..that’s shameful….we all know that’s shameful….. Please we don’t need to defend koscielny
Why are you bringing me into this?Put your glasses on and you will find it is Ken1945 who replied to your post.Becoming a bit paranoid are you?
Van Persie left because he was our best player and he decided he was fed up with the Club selling players and therefore removing any chance of him winning the Premiere League.Do I blame him? Not really.Did I prefer him to stay?Of course.Did it matter who he signed for?As long as it want the Spuds it made no difference.He went to the Mancs and won the Title.Then What?Nothing.If he had stayed with us he would have become a legend.He left and is despised.It happens to most clubs so we move on.
In regards Kos it’s sad that his best days are now behind him.But he is still the best CB at the Club and will be straight into the side as soon as he is fit.Its probably his last season and if we can replace him with a CB with the same ability then we will have a very good defender on our books.And if he is being emotional about losing all I can say is that I wish we had a few more in the team who felt like that.It shows he actually cares.
Finally-drop the paranoia. Look carefully before you reply.
Lol. Sorry about that Phil…i never knew it was ken…i would be more careful next time
I agree again with you, some fans really need to grow up and imagine if they are the footballers with such short career. All those so-called “traitors” are just employees like the most of us
If one gets a better offer (career/ money/ location) from another company or if he gets stuck in his career, why should he stay? Especially if the club want to sell him to get profit
The club spent money to treat the player’s injury because they still needed the player’s service/ value. If they don’t need the player again, they will throw the player away after his contract expires
Gotanidea, so now you have no problem with Ramsey holding out for a better deal then?
Wasn’t you having a go at Ozil for whatever reported salary he was on?
This “short career” you talk about averages out at say only ten years?
Average Arsenal squad player £50,000 a week (being very conservative to prove a point) x 52 x 10 = £26,000,000 less tax at 40% = £15,600,000 just as a conservative average.
Add on promotional monies, win bonuses, TV work, advertising products? That would bring in a few more pounds for these hard done by short career lads, who, don’t forget, CHOSE to be that anyway.
Adds up to a life of luxury for these poor players who only have a short career, or am I missing something here?
My heart bleeds for them, it really does!!!!
So as a fan who needs to “grow up” I would LOVE to imagine being a professional footballer. Gotan idea? Youv’e Gotnodea!
FACT….AFC didn’t want to sell Judas, especially as he had spent three quarters of his time at the club on the treatment table.
Let alone the support given to him during his legal battles early on.
All paid for by the club i.e. you and me.
They offered him the highest ever salary Arsenal had made and he put two fingers up at the club and us fans and just walked away.
No loyalty to the club, no respect for the club no respect to the fans.
That’s why one should compare him to Kos when trying to belittle a loyal servant versus a judas who took OUR MONEY AND RAN.
Excellent Ken ?
Ken and Sue, from what I understand Van Persie did raise his concerns with Arsene Wenger as to the ambitions of the club, specifically proposed transfers in, given that a number of high profile players had been sold. For example the backtracking on the undertaking that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nazri would not be sold in the same window. Therefore I agree with Chiza and Phil on the Van Persie matter.
Well I’m sorry Ozzie, but I can’t stand the guy
Chiza did I see you play the banjo on open night in the huckleberry cafe?
you are a joke if you consider RVPs attitude courageous and call KOS disloyal. Kos was equally playing his best football and was one of the best center backs in the world with so many offers for him about the time RVP jumped ship. Koscieny stayed all through the times of trouble with the gunners. He has given his best years to arsenal, there’s nothing more to prove. If he decides to leave now and wind down his career gradually I will accept that and he will still be a legend
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5716214/laurent-koscielny-breaks-down-tears-arsenal-arsene-wenger-kids/
Once again thank you Admin… For bringing this out.. I just hope Phil and the rest can see it… I just don’t argue with out facts.. He cried a lot…..oh fake tears!!!!
Oh sorry wait!… I guess koscielny was crying for the manager and not for the club… Remember he is loyal to wenger and not to the club!!!
The FACTS don’t say that he was “crying for the manager and not for the club… ” so stop with the vitriol please.
Once again I mean Ken and not Phil…. Sorry phil
No Chiza, it does NOT prove your point as you have misread, either by mistake or on purpose, the article.
The fact that it appears in the holiest of red tops the “Sun” might just cause a few eyebrows to be raised, but nevertheless read it again please.
Koscielney’s reaction to the departure of Wenger is perfectly understandable.With the arrival of a new Manager he was probably no longer an automatic choice as he had been under his fellow Frenchman despite pretty average performances during the past 2 seasons.At his best he was good but he was never “world class” as suggested by Wenger.He was and probably is better than Mustafi but I doubt if he has a medium term future at Arsenal.
Tony Adams gave his views on the last good defenders Arsene Wenger signed; Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Lauren and Toure. Also he reiterarated the concern many of us about the non replacement of Gilberto Silva.
Naturally Koscielny would be concerned about Arsene Wenger leaving, because he had such a major influence on his career. He also would have reasonable concerns about playing under a new manager and his future recovery from his achilles injury and ability at his age to resume his career.
Let’s all hope the Koscielny fully recovers and can compete for his place at Arsenal.
not to forget he cost us the league cup against Birmingham city years ago with that fiasco with schesny, i’ve not forgotten that, lest the countless red cards and rash defending costing us games.He is not mentally and physically tough like Adams, Campbel,etc. Hence hes not a legend, just another league 2 player with flashes of brilliance like any other now a days players. He wanted to go, should have gone, I’d say good riddance and take with you Socrates, Mustafi, Elneny, Xhaka, Ramsey, Ozil and Belrin
so one error in a cup final makes him a bad player? Top stars Messi, Maradona, John Terry etc have lost or given away penalties that cost their teams titles yet they remain great players
After costing us at the emirates with a silly lack of concentration against atletico madrid(i guess he was so scared of Griezmann pace)……i just hope he actually cried again in the dressing room after the game
Look koscielny is time to prove yourself but if you feel your reoccurring Achilles injury will give you problems then you better go because I see no mercy from Emery… He is no Wenger who has achieved his best at arsenal….Emery has a successful career he wants to build in no time if not he is going to be on the chopping block….so he has no time for passengers that are going to delay his flight to success…….
I advise all arsenal players to wake up and not only koscielny because Emery won’t take rubbish…………Emery is ready to make our u23 team become our first team if it is what he has to do to become successful…
Be warned all arsenal players..be warned!!!
Not sure your issue with kos tbh ,I thought as a fan your would have noticed that he as been one of our best signings in the last 20 years ,not just defensive signing but overall one of the best .yes his best days are probably behind him but I know I would still have him over anyone of our other defenders if he’s fully fit .takes a strong man to show his emotions in front of people and for that I admire him .
His loyalty is commendable!
I hope he does get to play for us again
Chiza, do you have any personal issues with Kos? I can’t understand why you sound this scornful. Yes, he made a mistake against Athletico but was he the only poor player on the night? Kos has played through injury, he’s given his best for the club, unlike many that walked away for “greener pastures”.
Even if Kos retires today he’ll be fondly remembered by many and there’s no amount of talking down that you can do to change that.
Namo I have no problems with Koscielny.. Surely he has been our best defender during this awkward years…the atletico Madrid game… My problem with him came after I saw what his agent said.. You claim koscielny is loyal to arsenal.. Loyal my foot…… And then you are banging the floor just because a manager who hasn’t done his job is going….and then you are thinking about leaving with him just because he was the one that made you famous….. Namo for God’s sake that shows where his loyalty lies…his loyalty is with Wenger and not with arsenal…..that’s shameful….we all know that’s shameful….. Please we don’t need to defend koscielny….i have lost my respect for him after seeing this… He doesn’t love arsenal and I don’t give a damn what others think….that’s my opinion
Are you loyal to a club or a manager?…….so koscielny why leave because wenger is going….do you love the club or do you love the manager?…….Wenger made you famous.. Yes we know that but arsenal made wenger more famous… So who should you respect??…. The club or the manager?……. And then you go banging the floor and thinking about leaving with a manager who couldn’t bring success back…. Embarrassing!!….really embarrassing!
Did Rooney,evra,vidic,ferdinand,etc immediately thought of leaving Manchester United because Ferguson left… They loved the club and only left because the managers didn’t want them…….Koscielny loves Wenger and not arsenal… Koscielny is loyal to Wenger and not arsenal…..fans should get this right
SHAMEFUL!
Koscielny has lost my respect!!!!!!!!!!
Koscielny banged his hand on the ground in frustration when he got injured, cos he knew that he’d likely miss the world cup. He couldn’t have banged his hand on the ground cos Wenger was leaving. Afterall, Wenger had already announced his departure some days if not weeks earlier. Let’s not get it twisted. If he felt like “leaving with the Manager”, that’s just him being emotional. In our places of work, it happens when a good boss is transferred to another branch. Sometimes we get emotional and feel like leaving with the boss.
As for RvP, he had a choice to make and he chose to leave, for whatever reasons. The moment he put on Utd jersey, I forgot everything about him. Life goes on….
Nano, you are right about him banging his hand on the “ground”; unfortunately his agent is quoted as saying “floor”, which tends to indicate indoors not on the field, where the actual event occurred.
Ok fine…. Let’s say he banged the floor after knowing about the injury…it still doesn’t change the fact that he isn’t loyal to the club….koscielny was just scared of his position after that injury.. He felt he won’t be important any more to the new coach..how can a club captain think of leaving when the club needs him the most at this stage of s new era… ..he was not the only one battling with injury.. .take for example Wilshere……I’m not sure koscielny loves wenger the way Wilshere loves him…. Wilshere also have his own injury worries but never for once did he think of leaving arsenal after wenger went even though he was shocked…..he was willing to prove himself to the new manager even with his injury problems and was even willing to take a pay cut…..that’s a player who loves the club..who is loyal to the club… Wilshere is the symbol of loyalty and not koscielny…..wilshere left arsenal not because he wasn’t willing to play from the bench but because deep inside he knew he needed games to prove doubters wrong and he is far younger than koscielny so we can make a case for him…..and that’s just it…koscielny has disappointed me….and it won’t change even if he scores the winning goals that wins a premier league,europa league, fa cup, carabao cup and the champions league
OK let’s look at this way.. In as much Wilshere wanted to prove himself by trying to get more game time else where.. assuming Wilshere was our main captain do you think he would have considered leaving arsenal at this start of a new era even if it means staying on the bench???…..FOOD FOR THOUGHT arsenal fans.. Food for thought!
Wow chiza you really are numb, koscielny is one of our best defenders and has been loyal to us. He said in 2016 that he would retire at arsenal or lorient but that he would never consider playing for another epl club. That as much loyalty you can get for a foreigner who return to their homeland at the end of their career.
He cries after losing games and you see that as negative, he freaking loves the club and as captain he surely feels the most responsible for our defeats. He has always said how much he loved and respected wenger for having the guts to take an unknown player out of ligue 2 to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
it seems you are lacking in the brain department and lack social understanding.
Ackshay, not only that, he doesn’t know what actual FACTS ARE!!!!
Wilshere was offered a contract that meant time on the bench he considered it and then he left.
Not only that, Wilshere said he was so upset when Wenger left, a critiscm Chiza aimed at Kos in earlier posts!!!
I dont know why I’m wasting my time on this guy, he has no idea what he’s talking about and your last sentence sums it up.
Sorry if I’m being harsh, everyone has an opinion, but he’s tying himself up in knots and contradicting what he said earlier.
chiza , you are actually making a real fool out of yourself with no help from anybody else. okay, it is one thing coming on here and predicting all those players that did not end up at arsenal, and it is one thing making all those preseason predictions about scorelines in upcoming games. but , you have totally lost the plot young man, you really have . i used to like reading your comments, they were mostly crazy i know, but now you have over stepped the mark in my opinion.you have lost your way, and you have totally lost my respect. and i know you neither want nor need my respect. but you are going to end up being extremely unpopular here. please calm down , not only for your sake , but for all readers on here.there is no need to go overboard. please get back to making wild predictions again, give us all a laugh . after all young man, its only a game .
Hahhahahahahaha???? Lol