“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 forward has revealed that he now hates the club because of what Arsène Wenger did to him while he was in North London
Former Arsenal winger Gervinho has revealed he “hates” the club after his abrupt departure under the management of Arsène Wenger. The Ivorian attacker, who joined the Gunners in 2011 for £10.5 million from French club Lille, has shared his disappointment with the way his time at the north London club ended.
At the time of his arrival, the 24-year-old was a promising talent, having impressed in Ligue 1 by securing a league and cup double with Lille, playing alongside Eden Hazard. Gervinho’s early performances at Arsenal showed promise, with a brace in a 2-1 pre-season win against FC Cologne. However, his Premier League debut against Newcastle United took a dramatic turn when he was sent off for slapping Joey Barton, marking the start of a difficult spell at the club.
Despite a strong start to his second season, where he scored five goals in seven games, Gervinho’s form soon dipped, leading Wenger to sell him to Roma in the summer of 2013. The Ivorian later expressed his frustration at the way he was treated by Wenger and the club.
“As a child, I dreamed of playing for Arsenal because I loved them,” Gervinho told Gazzetta dello Sport in 2013. “Now I hate them for the way Wenger treated me. He never had confidence in me. I regretted leaving the club after such a short time without being able to show my worth, which I’m now doing at Roma instead.”
During his three seasons at Roma, Gervinho found success, scoring 26 goals and providing 20 assists in 88 appearances. In contrast to Wenger’s lack of faith in him, Gervinho’s coaches at Roma backed him, allowing him to rediscover his form.
Wenger, however, defended his decision to let Gervinho leave, citing a lack of confidence in the player’s performances. “He is a very creative player, an instinctive dribbler, but for that, you need a lot of confidence to be completely efficient,” Wenger explained. “In the last six months, it was very difficult for him to express his talent confidently. I felt he needed a new challenge.”
After leaving Roma, Gervinho 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 by a knee injury. His most recent stint was with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece during the 2022/23 season.
Now 37 years old and without a club, Gervinho’s career may have taken him across the globe, but his experience at Arsenal remains a bitter memory.
