Emmanuel Petit has expressed regret over his decision to leave Arsenal for Barcelona, calling it one of the biggest mistakes of his illustrious football career.
Petit joined Arsenal in 1997, reuniting with Arsène Wenger, who had coached him at Monaco. He quickly became a fan favorite at Highbury, playing a key role in Arsenal’s Premier League and FA Cup double during his debut season.
In 2000, after three successful years at Arsenal, Petit and teammate Marc Overmars transferred to Barcelona for £7 million. The move came shortly after Petit’s Euro 2000 victory with France, adding to his 1998 World Cup triumph. However, his time at Barcelona was far from successful. Persistent injuries and limited playing opportunities saw him last only one season at the Nou Camp.
Reflecting on his departure, Petit admitted in 2020 that he often questioned his decision, particularly when discussing Philippe Coutinho’s struggles at Barcelona following his £142 million move from Liverpool. Speaking to Mirror Football, Petit said: “If I were Philippe Coutinho, every morning I’d wake up and ask myself, ‘Why did I sign for Barcelona?’ I thought the same thing when I left Arsenal. Every day I wondered, ‘Why did I leave? Why did I leave?’”
After his short stint at Barcelona, Petit joined Chelsea, his final professional club. While his move to west London initially seemed promising, recurring knee injuries hindered his performances. Under Claudio Ranieri, he spent much of his time on the bench before being released in 2004.
Petit later revealed his dissatisfaction with how his time at Chelsea ended, telling SFR Sport’s The Locker Room: “I didn’t like the way it ended with the dressing room, the medical staff, and the president [Abramovich]. I was disgusted. My knee was in bad shape, and my performances suffered, but I hid the truth from the medical team because I still had the hunger.”
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