Laurent Koscielny has hung up his boots, three years after leaving Arsenal.
Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
The former France international joined the Gunners in 2010 and spent nine years with the club, leading them to three FA Cups in the process, before joining Bordeaux.
However, his time with the Ligue 1 club ended in bittersweet after he was accused of racism by Bordeaux’s ultras group – UB87 – as well as goalkeeper Beniot Costil in the aftermath of their defeat at Montpellier.
The defender was already dropped from the Bordeaux squad in January due to his high salary and poor performance and has now made the decision to hang up his boots.
In a press release via Sud Ouest, we read: “As a reminder, Laurent Koscielny has not been part of the club’s professional staff since the end of January 2022, he recalls that he is still an employee of the Girondins de Bordeaux. Laurent Koscielny intends to specify that he has decided to hang up his crampons when he would have preferred to help the club on the ground.
“Aware that the club was in difficulty, he accepted the offer to take up a new position and to release a salary which demonstrated his concern for the best interests of the club. As such, he would like to thank the club for the confidence shown in him by entrusting him with this position.
“This mission is the extension of a career that has commanded the respect of all his partners, coaches and staff that he has worked with both at the club and in the France team. Laurent Koscielny also shares the club’s position, which recalls in its press release that “no evidence in support of these allegations has been brought to the attention of the Club, which intends in principle to exercise the greatest caution”.
Koscielny leaves the French club six points from safety in Ligue 1 with the division’s worst goal difference but opted to drop the centre-back from the team at the start of the year in a bid to turn around their disappointing campaign .
