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

Former Arsenal striker has confessed that he now dislikes the club because of what Arsène Wenger did to him during his time in North London.

Gervinho, a former Arsenal winger, has confessed that he “hates” the club after leaving abruptly under Arsène Wenger’s administration. The Ivorian forward, who joined the Gunners from French club Lille in 2011 for £10.5 million, has expressed his dissatisfaction with how his stint in north London ended.

At the time of his arrival, the 24-year-old was a young player who had excelled in Ligue 1 by winning the league and cup with Lille with Eden Hazard. Gervinho’s early efforts at Arsenal were promising, including a brace in a 2-1 preseason win over FC Cologne. However, his Premier League debut against Newcastle United took a dramatic turn when he was sent off for slapping Joey Barton, signalling the beginning of a tough period at the club.

Despite a good start to his second season, in which he scored five goals in seven games, Gervinho’s form quickly plummeted, prompting Wenger to transfer him to Roma in the summer of 2013. The Ivorian later voiced dissatisfaction with how Wenger and the club treated him.

“As a child, I dreamed of playing for Arsenal because I loved them,” Gervinho told Gazzetta dello Sport in 2013. “Now I despise them because of how Wenger handled me. He was never confident in me. I regret leaving the club after such a short time without being able to demonstrate my worth, which I am now doing at Roma instead.”

Gervinho had a successful three seasons with Roma, scoring 26 goals and assisting 20 times in 88 matches. In contrast to Wenger’s lack of trust in him, Gervinho’s Roma coaches encouraged him, allowing him to regain his form.

Wenger, on the other hand, justified his decision to let Gervinho depart by claiming a lack of faith in the player’s abilities. “He is a very creative player, an instinctive dribbler, but for that, you need a lot of confidence to be completely efficient,” Wenger says. “He has struggled to confidently exhibit his skills during the previous six months. “I thought he needed a new challenge.”

Gervinho left Roma and briefly played for Hebei China Fortune before returning to Italy with Parma in 2018. He later joined Turkish club Trabzonspor in 2021, but was sidelined due to a knee injury. His most recent assignment was with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece for the 2022/23 season.

Gervinho’s career has brought him all over the world, but his time at Arsenal is a distant memory.