Emmanuel Petit admits leaving Arsenal for Barcelona was his biggest career mistake

Emmanuel Petit has admitted that leaving Arsenal for Barcelona in 2000 was the biggest mistake of his career, expressing a longing to return to the days he spent at Highbury under Arsène Wenger.

The French midfielder joined Arsenal in 1997 and immediately made his mark, winning the league and FA Cup Double in his first full season. He remains the only Gunner to have scored in a World Cup final, netting in France’s 3-0 victory over Brazil at the 1998 tournament.

“I have some very good memories. When I first came to England, I really loved the tradition over there,” Petit said. “I loved it. Back in the day I loved everything. The football, the speed, the total football at times. You never give up and that’s something I learned in England. Never give up until the end.”

Petit’s connection with English football and its supporters proved deeper than anything he found at Camp Nou. “I loved the link with the fans in England and I would pay good money to go back to those days because I miss that sometimes,” he said. “I do believe that my biggest mistake was leaving Arsenal to move to Barcelona.”

His time in Catalonia yielded no silverware. Petit made 31 appearances under Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, who had taken over after Louis van Gaal’s departure in 2000, during a difficult period for the club. Within a year he had returned to the Premier League, joining Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea.

Petit spent three years at Stamford Bridge before retiring in 2004, ending a career that had promised so much after his Highbury peak. His candid reflection places him alongside a number of high-profile Arsenal alumni — among them Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and Marc Overmars — who are widely considered to have produced their finest football in north London rather than in the moves that followed.