“He’s an old f00l”- Former Arsenal winger reveals he now hates the club because of the way he was unfairly treated by Arsène Wenger

“He’s an old f00l”: A former Arsenal winger says he despises the team now that Arsène Wenger has treated him unfairly.

A former forward for Arsenal has admitted that his hatred for the team stems from what Arsène Wenger did to him when he was living in North London.

Gervinho, a former winger for Arsenal, said he “hates” the team after leaving abruptly under Arsène Wenger’s leadership. The Ivorian forward expressed his dissatisfaction with how his tenure at the north London club concluded. He signed with the Gunners in 2011 after leaving French club Lille for £10.5 million.

The 24-year-old was a bright prospect when he joined Lille, having won the league and cup together while playing alongside Eden Hazard in Ligue 1. Early on in the preseason, Gervinho looked promising for Arsenal, scoring two goals in a 2-1 victory over FC Cologne. His Premier League debut against Newcastle United, however, took a dramatic turn when he was sent for slapping Joey Barton, which signaled the beginning of a challenging period for the team.

Gervinho had a great start to his second season—scoring five goals in seven games—but his play quickly deteriorated, and Wenger sold him to Roma in the summer of 2013. Afterwards, the Ivorian vented his annoyance at Wenger and the team for how he had handled him.

“I loved Arsenal as a kid, so I always wanted to play for them,” Gervinho said in a 2013 interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. Because of the way Wenger handled me, I now despise them. He never thought highly of me. I now work at Roma, and I regret leaving the club so quickly without having the opportunity to prove my value.

Gervinho was successful in his three seasons at Roma, making 88 games while dishing up 20 assists and 26 goals. Gervinho’s coaches at Roma supported him, in contrast to Wenger’s lack of belief in him, which helped him find his form again.

Wenger, on the other hand, defended his choice to let Gervinho go by pointing to the player’s lack of effectiveness. Wenger said, “He is an extremely creative player and an instinctive dribbler, but to be completely efficient, you need to have a lot of confidence.” It has been extremely tough for him to confidently show his talent during the previous six months. I believed he required a fresh challenge.

2018 saw Gervinho return to Italy with Parma after a brief stint with Hebei China Fortune following his departure from Roma. Later, in 2021, he signed with Turkish club Trabzonspor, but a knee injury kept him from playing. He played his last season in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki in 2022–2023.

Gervinho’s career has carried him all over the world, and he is currently 37 years old and without a club, but his time at Arsenal will always be a painful memory.