‘It’s a slap in the face’: Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny vents his frustration as Bordeaux announce their decision to SELL him in January… just days after exiling him from the squad and stripping him of his captaincy
- Laurent Koscielny took his exclusion from first team at Bordeaux very ‘badly’
- He referred to the decision to remove him from the squad as a ‘slap in the face’
- The French side find themselves languishing in 17th, one point above drop zone
- As a result, the have exiled Koscielny – who has suffered with injuries this season
- It is Laurent Koscielny, Paul Baysse and Mehdi Zerkane who have been cast aside
Former Arsenal centre back Laurent Koscielny has taken his exclusion from first team at Bordeaux very ‘badly’ and referred to the decision as a ‘slap in the face’.
The French side have been struggling for form in Ligue 1 this season and find themselves languishing in 17th place, just one point above the dreaded drop zone.
As a result, Koscielny – who has only made 11 appearances this term due to ongoing injury issues – has been exiled from the squad along with Paul Baysse and Mehdi Zerkane.
Laurent Koscielny (above) has taken his exclusion from first team at Bordeaux very ‘badly’ and referred to the decision as a ‘slap in the face’
According to L’Equipe, Koscielny is furious with the decision. The former Arsenal player said: ‘I’m a footballer, so my passion is primarily to play, and also to set an example for my teammates as captain.
‘So, I took it very hard. Let’s just say it was a right slap in the face. But I’m a fighter, I’ll continue to fight and do what it takes to stay at the top level and help the squad so that the team gets the best possible results.’
When asked whether he was given a reason for his exile, Koscielny said: ‘No. None. They just told me that this was their new strategy, and that we would find a solution with the financial director that was good for everyone.’
Koscielny (left) – who has only made 11 appearances this term due to ongoing injury issues – has been exiled from the squad along with Paul Baysse and Mehdi Zerkane
Vladimir Petkovic’s Bordeaux side at risk of being relegated from Ligue 1 after just three wins
Koscielny – who is contracted at the club until the summer of 2022 – has only played 11 of Bordeaux’s 20 top-flight games this season.
The 36-year-old also found himself left on the bench for their clash against Marseille at the weekend despite being fit to play.
In addition, Koscielny was stripped of his captaincy earlier this week due to poor form while fellow centre half Baysse and winger Zerkane have also been shut out.
When asked how he found out he was cut from the squad, Koscielny said: “On Monday evening, after the side-lining of Mehdi Zerkane and Paul Baysse in the afternoon, the president called my agent to inform him.
‘On Tuesday morning I went to training as usual, but no one came to see me… Then, I had a meeting that afternoon with Gerard Lopez and Admar Lopes, who told me that they wanted to find a solution for the future, but that I could continue to train with the first team.”
Bordeaux president Gerard Lopez (above) has announced that the club will cut ties with the 36-year-old during the January transfer window
Despite being told he could continue to train at the club, Koscielny has now been told that he will be sold in the January window.
The Bordeaux president, Gerard Lopez, recently announced that the club would be cutting ties with the 36-year-old later this month.
In a recent interview he said: ‘We are not attacking the player or the person, but it is decided that Laurent will not finish the season with us and he will leave the club in January.
‘I think that he can still play football so if we can help him to keep playing, he will leave as a player.
‘He has this right to convert into something else (as a coach – at the club) too, maybe a bit later.
‘There are a number of possibilities, they are all on the table.’
