Emmanuel Petit opened up about his departure from Arsenal to join Barcelona – confessing it was a move he deeply regrets from his storied football career.
The former Gunners star landed in north London back in 1997, reuniting with Arsene Wenger, who had previously managed him at Monaco. Petit quickly became a fan favourite at Highbury, playing a pivotal role in Arsenal clinching the Premier League and FA Cup double in his debut season.
After three years with Arsenal, Petit, along with team-mate Marc Overmars, transferred to the Spanish titans for a total of £7million. His switch to Barcelona promptly followed his Euro 2000 victory with France, adding to his 1998 World Cup triumph.
However, his club success didn’t follow suit as he only lasted one season at the Nou Camp, plagued by injuries and struggling to secure a spot in the starting XI.
Petit’s remorse over his exit from Arsenal was palpable in 2020 when he reflected on Philippe Coutinho’s lack of success at Barcelona after his £142m transfer from Liverpool in 2018. “If I was Philippe Coutinho, every morning I would wake up and think to myself, ‘Why, why, did I sign [for Barcelona] in Spain? ‘” Petit shared with Mirror Football.
“And do you know why I say this? Because, I can remember the time when I’d wake up, when I was at Barcelona, when I left Arsenal, and I was thinking the same way, ‘why did I leave? Why did I leave? Why did I leave?’
“And to be honest with you I am sure Coutinho has been asking himself the same question for a while now. He left for Bayern Munich, he does sometimes play well but he’s not really a first-team player.”
His short-lived stint in Barcelona saw Petit join Chelsea who turned out to be his last club in professional career. Initially, Petit’s transition to west London seemed successful, but a succession of knee injuries relegated him to the bench under Claudio Ranieri. This led to his eventual release in 2004.