Flamini in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

[BT]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/7530648

He went for the atmosphere and the nicer press, apparently. And he doesnt mind playing Spurs next year.

[Cockerill's chin]

He had a great season for us and was my player of the season. Sad to see him go, but it's blatantly obvious he went for the money. He's got form for it.

We benefitted from his tactics last time around so can't really hold a grudge this time. Good luck Flaminal. Your heart has always been in your wallet. One of the many mercenaries of modern football.

[Magic Merse]

Is it me or is he making the stuff up about the british tabloids. Not once did i see a picture of him in the sun. (except back pages)

[flash gunner]

Is it me or is he making the stuff up about the british tabloids. Not once did i see a picture of him in the sun. (except back pages)

I agree Merse before last season and even during it to an extent he should be so lucky that anyone would have cared what he was up to in his time off. Just run out of excuses i think

[exiled in notts]

Allow me to paraphrase the article in BT's post above:

"Ever since they turned out to be the only club to offer me more money, I always said Milan would have been my first choice if I left Arsenal and I absolutely did do it for the money," Flamini told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I don't say it to boast, well actually I do, but I had lots of offers (none of which I can mention as they are more or less entirely fictitious) and I chose Milan because the money they were offering is every player's dream. It was easy to decide to leave London, because I knew what I wanted i.e.huge wads of cash.
The 24-year-old lied when he claimed he was not concerned Milan will miss the Champions League next season after finishing fifth in Serie A.
"Actually I’m gutted," he said. "However, those who play in the UEFA Cup with Milan know that it's the exception of one season. Well, it had better be, or I’ll be off. Milan are the team with most international titles in the world. [I think. Agent, please check this bit].
"They are a great club with a great history, a good, amiable coach, excellent players, passionate fans and seemingly limitless amounts of filthy lucre. When I entered the San Siro on the night of Milan-Arsenal it made me shiver. The bastards had turned the heating off in our changing room.
He added that he is confident Serie A is on the up after the 2006 match-fixing scandal.
"Serie A is returning to the top of the fraudster’s popularity league. The problems are like Roberto Calvi under Blackfriars Bridge...sorry...like water under the bridge, lots of great players will come to Italy (on holiday).
The Frenchman also said he was glad to have the British tabloids off his back.
"If you say that in Italy the newspapers are not so interested in player's private lives you take a weight off my heart," he said, removing an onion from his pocket and peeling it.
"Sniff, in England, where otherwise I'm fine (but grossly underpaid), paparazzi chasing players with new girls are a nightmare, sob sob. [Note to hack: Make sure you put in the bit about new girls, so everyone can see what a sex god I am.]"

I'm not having a pop at Flamini's contribution this season which was probably his best in the shirt, but I wish players wouldn't insult our intelligence with their feeble self-justification. Anyway he might just find the grass isn't always greener, like one or two others.

[g88ner]

He had a great season for us and was my player of the season. Sad to see him go, but it's blatantly obvious he went for the money. He's got form for it.

Sorry, but for me, its not blatantly obvious he went for the money.

If he was leaving us for Spurs or Newcastle, then fair enough.....money would clearly be the overriding factor i.e. Lucas Neil choosing West Ham over Liverpool springs to mind.

But, he joined AC Milan....the 7 times European Cup Winners & 17 times Serie A winners!

Throw in the fact that he'll be playing every other week at the San Siro, and that he's half Italian (on his dad's side) and there you have it.

Yeah, ok, he's earning more with them....but I really think people are burying their heads in the sand if they think the only possible reason a player would choose to leave us is money

It doesn't get more prestigius than playing for Real Madrid or AC Milan. He was out of contract....and he chose to leave.

Arsenal could have offered him a contract last summer, but they chose not to - they told Flamini to play for a new contract. He did....and he signed that contract with Milan.

He was proffesional while playing for us...he never bitched and moaned, and gave 100% in every game. I respect that, and I respect his decision to move on. Good luck to him.

[augie]

He had a great season for us and was my player of the season. Sad to see him go, but it's blatantly obvious he went for the money. He's got form for it.

Sorry, but for me, its not blatantly obvious he went for the money.

If he was leaving us for Spurs or Newcastle, then fair enough.....money would clearly be the overriding factor i.e. Lucas Neil choosing West Ham over Liverpool springs to mind.

But, he joined AC Milan....the 7 times European Cup Winners & 17 times Serie A winners!

Throw in the fact that he'll be playing every other week at the San Siro, and that he's half Italian (on his dad's side) and there you have it.

Yeah, ok, he's earning more with them....but I really think people are burying their heads in the sand if they think the only possible reason a player would choose to leave us is money

It doesn't get more prestigius than playing for Real Madrid or AC Milan. He was out of contract....and he chose to leave.

Arsenal could have offered him a contract last summer, but they chose not to - they told Flamini to play for a new contract. He did....and he signed that contract with Milan.

He was proffesional while playing for us...he never bitched and moaned, and gave 100% in every game. I respect that, and I respect his decision to move on. Good luck to him.

You are assuming that he will actually be playing then. Most on here reckon he went for the money cos he wont be anywhere near a regular starter on the milan team next season so therefore he went for the money. I think that is an understandable assessment on the fans behalf

[g88ner]

You are assuming that he will actually be playing then. Most on here reckon he went for the money cos he wont be anywhere near a regular starter on the milan team next season so therefore he went for the money. I think that is an understandable assessment on the fans behalf

I assume he'll have to play for his place, and I'm sure his chance will come.

Considering that many of us feel that Flamini has been our player of the season, and that he's a big loss to our team....I don't see why its such a leap of faith to think he'll get a chance in the Milan 1st team.
- he' competing, at the moment, with Gattuso and Ambrosini, who are both over 30. He's a younger version of the 2 of them, and surely, that's why they wanted him.

Nothing's certain in life, but it strikes me as odd that, after the praise we've heaped on Flamini this season, that we should assume that he's not good enough for Milan.

Footballers are generally confident in their own ability, anf I'm sure Flamini isn't thinking he's not good enough for Milan. No, I think he'll be confident of breaking into there 1st team.

Like Owen, when he joined Real Madrid from Liverpool. Did he leave for the money? or did he dream of being the centre forward for one of the great teams...Real madrid; playing with Ronaldo, Raul, Zidane, Figo.
- Ok, that move didn't work out for him, but I'm sure he went for the right reasons...and I believe Flamini is doing a similar thing.

[BT]

I'm not saying he isnt worth the money, that Milan arent a big club and that he doesnt have Italian heritage but its insulting to keep coming up with other excuses.

'He would have signed last year had he been offered a deal' - but he was still unproven, mainly because Gilberto was in form and playing in his preferred position. If you believe Wenger's programme notes, Arsenal offered him a new contract 6 months ago. He stalled until he had the right offer, constantly saying he would sign a new deal with us in the meantime. Its the second time he's run his contract down so you could assume this statement that he'd have signed last summer is bullshit.


'The Italian press are better' - I dont remember him ever being in the press in the UK. And for someone half-Italian, does he not know where the word 'paparazzi' comes from?

'Arsenal not winning anything was a factor' - Milan are in a worst position

'The atmosphere at San Siro was electric' - maybe but it helped that he was on the winning team no doubt. A team he's just left.

He may get into the Milan first 11 but would they have even noticed him were he not free and had the chance to play at San Siro this year?

[EC3]

The fella is starting to sound a bit of a prick to me.............so he has gone because the press are better, atmosphere better, team is prestigous.

Do me a favour, he had a good season at Arsenal and now he seems to think he is in the big league. Arsenal offered £55k which seems fair to me.....produce another season like the previous then i'm sure it would of been reviewed.

Atmosphere better..........has he actually looked at the crowds in Seria A, i guarantee out of approx 10 league games each weekend around 4/5 will be under 18,000.

As for the press, did any of them bother with him?..............not that i can recall.

He has joined a team on the way down.........can't wait to see how he handles it when the fans turn up at training giving the team grief for a bad results.

The best league in the World is England, second best Spain..........Italy distinct 3rd best.

Rather than mug the club/fans off with pethetic excuses, do the decent thing and say that the financial package offered was impossible to turn down.

Very very few players go on to better things after leaving Arsenal.......i don't see him being one of them.

I would like to see Diaby given a chance in the middle, let's see what the fella can do in his RIGHT position.

[SPUDMASHER]

I have to say that putting personal predujices aside, I can see exactly why he went, and why he chose Milan as his destination.

Let me put this to you:-
You are a professional footballer that has the following choices to make.

1. (a) Earn £80k a week (b) Earn £55k a week
2. (a) Play in one of the most famous football arenas in the world in front of a crowd that is constant noise from start to finish.
(b) Play in one of the most modern best equipped stadiums in the world in front of what a times can be a wall of deafening silence where half the supporters fuck off with 10 mins to go.
3. (a) Know that your management team is prepared to invest and fight to get the player they want.
(b) Know that your management team will back away as soon as another team express interest in a target because they don't have the stomach or money for a fight.
4. (a) Be totally anonymous when away from the ground knowing that if you fuck up it will go unnoticed.
(b) Be known to all when away from the ground and have to watch your every move because you know some crunt is watching and waiting to make a few quid off your back to the highest bidder.

If any of you would rather choose option b then you need to take off the rose tinted glasses. I love Arsenal but given the choice professionally, I would rather play for Milan.

[Cockerill's chin]

g88ner wrote:

Yeah, ok, he's earning more with them....but I really think people are burying their heads in the sand if they think the only possible reason a player would choose to leave us is money

Sorry g88ner, but I think your burying your head in the sand. The Premiership is the best league in the world. The only teams to knock English teams out of this years CL were other English teams.

At Arsenal, Flaminal was playing in one of Europe's best stadiums for Europe's most attacking team. If AW is to be believed the team is bursting with potential and about to charter new heights. Flaminal could have been a key part of it, week in, week out.

AC on the other hand are playing in a corrupt league in which they have just finished fifth. If Flaminal wanted history he could have gone to a museum. He wanted the money: £60k+ after tax.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with chasing the money. Most players are mercenaries nowadays. Flaminal seems to have more acumen than the others though. Players like TA don't seem to exist anymore, but we win some we lose some.

[Zimgooner]

The more he continues spouting the nonsense that he went to a bigger team than Arsenal, the sooner I will start hating him. This man was given a chance ahead of Gilberto to express himself & for that he stuck 2 fingers to Wenger. I've had a hard time trying to bite my tongue but I don't think that I will take it anymore. Flamini is a wanker of the highest order & a footballing prostitute, devoid of morals and loyalty.

[flash gunner]

I have to say that putting personal predujices aside, I can see exactly why he went, and why he chose Milan as his destination.

Let me put this to you:-
You are a professional footballer that has the following choices to make.

1. (a) Earn £80k a week (b) Earn £55k a week
2. (a) Play in one of the most famous football arenas in the world in front of a crowd that is constant noise from start to finish.
(b) Play in one of the most modern best equipped stadiums in the world in front of what a times can be a wall of deafening silence where half the supporters fuck off with 10 mins to go.
3. (a) Know that your management team is prepared to invest and fight to get the player they want.
(b) Know that your management team will back away as soon as another team express interest in a target because they don't have the stomach or money for a fight.
4. (a) Be totally anonymous when away from the ground knowing that if you fuck up it will go unnoticed.
(b) Be known to all when away from the ground and have to watch your every move because you know some crunt is watching and waiting to make a few quid off your back to the highest bidder.

If any of you would rather choose option b then you need to take off the rose tinted glasses. I love Arsenal but given the choice professionally, I would rather play for Milan.

I think thats a bit harsh Spuddy although do i agree with some of what youve said but maybe slightly diluted version. Wenger gave him his chance last year and he repays him by fucking off for nothing i think that is unfair of Flamini on the club. If i had no allegances to the club (maybe in my own workplace for instance) i think i would have some loyalty towards a boss that gave me chance to prove myself then when i did offer to quadruple my money. The facts are his contract run out and he was free to go just wish he would stop lying about the reasons if it was more cash then say it

[EC3]

San Siro a wall of sound.........are you sure, try watching a few run of the mill games there, a totally different storey.

Players will get more hassel/attention in Italy than they would in London and that is a FACT.

Also in my opinion the San Siro is a pony ground compared to Arsenal's.

The only point i agree with you is on the money side............good luck to him there i don't blame him, but this constant excuse after excuse makes the fella seem a right prick.