I played for Man City and Arsenal – but I’m only loyal to one of my former teams.
Samir Nasri has always been clear that despite a memorable stint with Arsenal,Manchester City holds his true footballing affection.
During his Gunners tenure, Nasri delivered some standout performances before his 2011 move to the Etihad Stadium, where he enjoyed significant success, including two Premier League titles, one League Cup and a Community Shield. And while reflecting on his career during last season’s Champions League broadcasts, the 37-year-old didn’t hesitate to show his support for City over Arsenal.
However, when he was asked about rooting for either City or his boyhood club of Marseille, he couldn’t help but grin as he said: “Marseille, always Marseille.” The Frenchman’s journey began at the renowned Ligue 1 club in 2004, where he quickly made his mark before his transfer to Arsenal.
Nasri quickly became an essential element of Arsene Wenger’s squad, contributing 27 goals and 15 assists across 127 appearances as they contested for top-flight honours. But his departure from Arsenal was marred by a hint of controversy, compounded by the loss of players like Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, and Gael Clichy around the same time, leaving some Arsenal supporters with a bitter aftertaste.
After signing a four-year deal worth £25million, Nasri later delved into the reasoning behind his move during a 2014 interview with The Telegraph. He said: “This image of me being ‘materialistic’ is a French thing. People were envious. It’s fine. I really hesitated a long time.
“There was (Manchester) United. City wasn’t the big club it is right now. My agent told me, ‘Do you want to play in the big club, already with a big history (United), where you will be just one of them? Or play for Manchester City, who didn’t win the league for 44 years, where if you win the trophy, you can make history’.
“I said, ‘Oh, yeah, I want to make history’. In my first year, I won the league. I don’t have any regrets. Yes, economically I have a better life now than what I had at Arsenal. It’s normal. If I said to you tomorrow that there is another journal, as serious as your journal, offer you three times your salary, I think you are going to go there’. But my first motive was to win trophies.”
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In his initial season wearing City colours, Nasri took part in 30 Premier League games, scoring five goals and making nine assists, becoming a pivotal figure in leading the team to its first league title since 1968. During that historic 2011/12 season under the leadership of Roberto Mancini, City clinched the title on goal difference, pipping their neighbours Manchester United, as both teams amassed 89 points.
Nasri’s tenure with City concluded in 2017 when he made a £3.2m switch to Antalyaspor. After a single year with the Turkish Super-Lig team, he had spells with West Ham and Anderlecht before hanging up his boots in September 2021.
Arsenal prepare to welcome Manchester City for a Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon. Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, the second-placed Gunners will be aiming to close the gap on current league leaders Liverpool with a victory at home. Arsenal have been in exceptional form this season, remaining unbeaten in the league since their 1-0 loss to Newcastle United in November.
