Emmanuel Frimpong has revealed he and former colleague Samir Nasri did not get on and has described the former Gunners midfielder as a “bully”.
Frimpong has now retired from football but made 16 senior appearances for the Gunners between 2011-2013, becoming something of a fans’ favourite due to his entertaining presence on social media.
He was not so well-liked by Nasri, however, and has explained to The Athletic the extent of their sour relationship.
“I have always had so much respect for senior players,” Frimpong said. “You can ask Aaron Ramsey, you can ask Jack Wilshere. I never disrespected anybody.
“But for me, the truth is I’ve never liked Nasri and I will never, ever like this guy. Even if he gives me five billion dollars, I will still not like him.”
Frimpong said their troubles started after he was sent off during a game against Liverpool which Arsenal went on to lose 2-0.
“After the game, everybody came into the changing room and Arsene (Wenger) was quiet, you know. Obviously, he was disappointed about the result but he was quiet. He didn’t talk, and then Nasri basically stood up in front of everybody and said we lost the game because of me.
“OK, I can understand that, but I was thinking, ‘Why would somebody —especially me playing, I think that was like my second game — why would any professional do that to a young player in that kind of moment?”
Things really came to head during a 2011 Carling Cup tie, after which the pair faced off post-game and were separated by respective teammates.
“During the game, he told me he could buy me,” added Frimpong. “That’s how stupid this guy is. He probably could then because he had millions, but that’s no respect.”
“I feel like he was a bully,” he added. “I feel like he didn’t know his responsibilities as a senior player to be able to help younger players.
“I just found out that he’s still playing. He’s at Anderlecht so I’m hoping as a person he’s changed (and) now that he’s at Anderlecht he treats people different. Because from what I know of him back in the past, he wasn’t such a nice person.”
Frimpong hung up his boots in March following spells in Russia, Sweden and Cyprus during his career, and has now moved back to his native Ghana.
