Emmanuel Petit made the controversial decision to leave Arsenal for Chelsea in 2001, but his time at Stamford Bridge was far from enjoyable as his club career fizzled out.
Petit first arrived at Arsenal in 1997, reuniting with Arsène Wenger, who had previously managed him at Monaco. The French midfielder quickly became a fan favourite at Highbury, playing a key role in Arsenal’s Premier League and FA Cup double in his debut season.
After three years at Arsenal, Petit, alongside teammate Marc Overmars, transferred to Barcelona for a total of £7 million. His move to the Spanish giants followed his victory with France at Euro 2000, adding to his 1998 World Cup success.
However, his time at Barcelona didn’t mirror his previous success. Plagued by injuries and struggling to secure a regular spot in the starting XI, Petit lasted just one season at the Nou Camp.
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In 2020, reflecting on his own experience and the struggles of Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona after his £142 million transfer from Liverpool in 2018, Petit admitted his remorse over leaving Arsenal. “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?'”
Petit continued, “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.”
After his brief stint at Barcelona, Petit moved to Chelsea, where he ended his professional career. Initially, his transition to Stamford Bridge seemed promising, but a series of knee injuries left him sidelined, eventually leading to a fall from favour under manager Claudio Ranieri. In 2004, Petit was released by Chelsea.
The Frenchman expressed his displeasure with how his Chelsea career ended, confessing his frustration in an interview with SFR Sport’s The Locker Room: “I really didn’t like the way it ended in the dressing room, with the medical staff and the president [Abramovich] at Chelsea.”
“I was even disgusted. That’s why I left and didn’t give them any news about me after that. My performances had been suffering because my knee was a mess, but I put things off. I hid the truth from the medical staff. I still had the hunger.”
