Ex Arsenal star admits, ‘My biggest mistake was leaving for Barcelona’

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Nicolas Anelka became the Gunners’ record sale when he departed for big things in the 1990s, but despite his journeyman career, perhaps never reached the heights that some thought he would during his Arsenal days – while Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Marc Overmars can all safely claim to have given their best form in North London after big moves to Europe.

Now, one Gunner from that era has admitted as much.

While the likes of Ashley Cole, Serge Gnabry and Robin van Persie have all enjoyed silverware post-N5, Emmanuel Petit has now reminisced with FourFourTwo about his time as an Arsenal player.

The Frenchman is still the only Gunner to have scored in a World Cup final, and after signing for mentor Arsene Wenger in 1997, enjoyed phenomenal success at Highbury, winning a league and FA Cup Double in his first full season.

“I have some very good memories. When I first came to England, I really loved the tradition over there,” Petit tells us now, courtesy of Betfred.

“I loved it. Back in the day I loved everything. The football, the speed, the total football at times. You never give up and that’s something I learned in England. Never give up until the end.”

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The midfielder ended up leaving in 2000 for Barcelona – moving back to the Premier League just a year later to return to London with Arsenal’s rivals, Chelsea.

Reflecting on that time now, Petit says that the connection he had with the English supporters was stronger than that at Camp Nou – and that he regrets even moving to Barça in the first place.

“I loved the link with the fans in England and I would pay good money to go back to those days because I miss that sometimes,” he says, adding, “I do believe that my biggest mistake was leaving Arsenal to move to Barcelona.”

Petit failed to win anything in Catalonia, appearing 31 times under manager Lorenzo Serra Ferrer’s failed tenure as manager after Louis van Gaal left in 2000.

The World Cup winner retired in 2004 after three years at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal take on Bayern Munich as Champions League action returns this week.

Mark White Content Editor Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn’t receive a winners’ medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson’s season at Barcelona to Robinho’s career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

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