Per Mertesacker has claimed that Arsenal’s players were to blame for the departure of former manager Arsene Wenger.
The ex-club captain retired at the end of the 2017/18 season, and is now a coach in the Gunners’ academy.
Speaking to German outlet Spox (and translated by Sport Witness), Mertesacker said:
That was very surprising for all of us. He came into the meeting room and said that together with the bosses he had decided to quit at the end of the season. It was a sad moment because I felt like I’d done my part,
His departure was the fault of us players because we had many opportunities to get better results. We failed while he always stood in front of us. I felt the need to be the first to speak, and expressed my deep regret. It was important for him to see that as a team, we have something to say and stand for.
Mertesacker spent seven years at the heart of the Arsenal defence, winning the FA Cup three times.
