‘I should have stayed’… World Cup winner says he never should’ve left Arsenal

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There have been a number of players who have lived to regret leaving Arsenal over the years.

Jack Wilshere admitted just this week that leaving Arsenal was a bad decision for his career, while Alexis Sanchez immediately regretted leaving Arsenal for Manchester United a few years ago.

Now, speaking on Stadium Astro, Emmanuel Petit has been discussing his departure from Arsenal back in 2000, and he says that he really does regret leaving the Gunners.

Indeed, Petit says that the grass wasn’t greener over in Barcelona, claiming that he was better off staying at Highbury rather than heading to Camp Nou.

Emmanuel Petit regrets leaving Arsenal

The World Cup winner spoke about leaving north London.

“I should have stayed there with Arsenal. Definitely. Sometimes the grass is not greener somewhere else you know? It’s better to stay where you are when you receive love and happiness and you’re happy where you are, why are you leaving? If I could turn the clock back I would probably make a different option,” Petit said.

Can’t blame him

While it’s easy for Petit to say this in hindsight, at the time, a move to Barcelona would’ve been very difficult to turn down.

When all is said and done, Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and when an opportunity to play for the Spanish giants comes around, you almost have to take it.

Of course, his time in Catalonia didn’t exactly go to plan, but he wasn’t to know that when the offer initially came in.

We can’t begrudge any player who takes a move to a club like Barcelona, they’re one of the greatest and most historic footballing institutions on the planet, and these opportunities really don’t come around very often.

Petit made the wrong call here, but it’s hard to blame him or question his thought process around this move.