MATHIEU FLAMINI would still be an Arsenal
player if the club had offered him a new contract last summer.
Instead the Gunners told him to prove he was worth a better deal —
and a few months later found themselves battling with Europe’s
biggest clubs in a futile bid to keep him.
French midfielder Flamini today gives his first full
interview since ditching the Londoners for Italian side AC Milan
and tells Sport he joined Milan because he reckons they are one of
the two biggest clubs in the world, NOT because of
the money.
Felt Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was wrong to accuse him
of being greedy. Flamini, 24, said: “If Arsenal had offered me a
contract last summer I would still be their player now. “Last July
I told Arsenal I wanted to extend my contract so, of course, I
would have signed if they had offered me a deal . . . but they
didn’t.
“They said they wanted me to prove myself first. “It
was difficult for me at the beginning. I had to see it as a
challenge but I won’t lie, it was not easy. You have to be mentally
very strong to cope.”
To his credit, the French international knuckled down
and played his heart out. He added: “If I had a serious injury my
future would have been in question as I was out of contract. But,
touch wood, I don’t want to think about these things and,
thankfully, I played well and I can be proud of what I
achieved.”
By the time Arsenal made an offer they were competing
with Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter and Juventus who were
all desperate to sign Flamini. Yet the midfielder was so determined
to stay at Arsenal — even after receiving huge offers from Europe’s
big hitters — that he was prepared to wait until the last minute to
reach a deal.
He added: “We started to speak in December but I knew
it was a huge decision. At that time we were playing every three
days. I didn’t want to think too much about that because I wanted
to focus on my performances. “It was difficult for me as I started
to have offers from big clubs.”
You could see the disappointment in Flamini’s eyes when
the conversation inevitably turned to Wenger’s comments. The
Emirates chief claimed that Flamini joined AC for the money and the
Italians had no values.
Flamini said: “I’ve enormous respect for Arsene Wenger.
But I did not leave for the money. “It is not true. I don’t want to
comment about what he said or how I felt when I read his comments.
“But I will say I’m leaving for Milan because it’s one of the
biggest clubs in the world — with millions of fans everywhere, an
enormous history and one of the biggest trophy cabinets in the
world.
“Milan are in the Champions League final every couple
of years. Arsenal are a big club too and they have ambition. “But I
chose to go to Milan. If you think it was easy for me to leave
Arsenal you couldn’t be more wrong. “Until the last moment I
couldn’t make my mind up. “It breaks your heart to see all these
people wanting you to stay. Even on the last day after the Everton
game they were not sure I was going to leave because even I was not
sure. Then after I passed my medical at Milan I went to see Arsene.
It was emotional but he accepted my decision.
“Those who say I left for the money should think that I
signed as a 20-year-old and I left with the same salary I had when
I came to Arsenal. “If money was the reason I played for Arsenal,
then why did I play for four years with the same contract?”
He added: “I had the chance to go to some of the
biggest clubs in Europe. Even if I stayed at Arsenal I’d still have
earned a lot of money. “I took my decision based on what I wanted
for the future. Milan is the most decorated club in the world,
along with Real Madrid.
“I’m half-Italian and it was an opportunity to go back
to my roots. My father Roland is the proudest person in the world
that I’ve finally gone to Italy.” Fellow midfielder Alex Hleb looks
ready to follow Flamini out of the Arsenal exit door. And should
that happen there will be questions about the future of Cesc
Fabregas.
But Flamini added: “I honestly don’t know what will
happen with Cesc or Alex. “My team-mates knew I had a decision to
make and respected it. They know one day they may have to make a
decision themselves.”
