Lassana Diarra didn’t mince his words when claiming Arsene Wenger broke his promise after signing him from Chelsea. The Frenchman spoke out publicly during his time at Arsenal and detailed his account of what happened in his brief five-month stay at the club.
Diarra, 41, departed Chelsea to join the Gunners on transfer deadline day in 2007 but left in the following window after a lack of first team opportunities despite being a regular for France at the time. The former midfielder vocalised his discontent just four months after joining and claimed Wenger had reneged on his promise of giving him regular game-time.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Diarra said: “We’re halfway through December, and I’ve decided: I want to leave Arsenal. The bottom line is the coach doesn’t need me. They don’t want me. I don’t understand, because I’ve got more value in the French national team.
“When I signed for Arsenal I was made promises by the people who recruited me. But since the start of the season the only matches I’ve been involved in have been low-key, and to be honest I’m getting fed up with it.
“With Mr Wenger, there’s no problem whatsoever. I’m not going to criticise him or speak badly of him. I’m not the kind of person who creates problems. But I signed for Arsenal because I was led to believe I was going to be playing, and there would be healthy competition. That hasn’t been the case.”
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Diarra secured a reported £5.5million move to Portsmouth in January and won the FA Cup four months later when Pompey defeated Cardiff City in the final. His impressive performances at Fratton Park saw Real Madrid fork out £17m (€20m) for his services after 11 months with the Premier League side.
After settling with the La Liga giants, Diarra later took aim at Wenger and said he learned “nothing” from his former manager when asked by Spanish newspaper El Pais what he had been taught by his fellow Frenchman.
4View 4 ImagesLassana Diarra left Arsenal after just five months(Image: Getty Images)
4View 4 ImagesThe Frenchman said he learned more from Jose Mourinho than he did from Arsene Wenger(Image: Getty Images)
“Me? Nothing,” Diarra answered. “I did not learn anything from Wenger. He just taught me to doubt everything. The relationship I had with him was not good. You cannot understand the whole world.” He proceeded to shower Jose Mourinho with praise, having worked with the Portuguese boss at Chelsea.
He added: “I respect the way you train, but I learned more with [former Chelsea manager Jose] Mourinho. Mourinho taught me to fight. I spoke looking into his eyes. If you had a problem, it would be discussed. Wenger never addressed me until I told him I was going.
View 4 ImagesJose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger both managed Diarra(Image: Getty Images Europe)
“He talked to others, but not me. I feel like I never played for Arsenal. If people do not remind me of them [Arsenal], I forget about them. It’s erased from my memory.” After three years in Madrid, Diarra joined Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala before signing for Lokomotiv Moscow.
He returned to France with Marseille and spent two years there before enjoying a brief stint at Emirati side Al Jazira. A second return to his homeland beckoned as he finished his career in 2019 with Paris Saint-Germain after spending a season at the Parc des Princes.
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