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What's the story?
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong has accused Samir Nasri of being a bully and declared that he will never respect the Frenchman even if he was offered 'five billion dollars.'
In case you didn't know...
Frimpong rose through the youth ranks at Arsenal before making his Premier League debut for the club at the age of 19 in 2011.
The Ghanaian went on to make 16 senior appearances for the Gunners between 2011-2013 and later played for Barnsley and various clubs in Russia, Sweden and Cyprus before hanging up his boots at the age of 27 due to a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Nasri began his playing career at Marseille, before joining Arsenal on a four-year deal in 2008. He spent three years at the north London club before making the switch to Manchester City, where he won his first major honor as a player after the club won the 2011–12 edition of the Premier League.
Nasri has since gone on to play for the likes of Sevilla, Antalyaspor, West Ham United and (presently) Belgian outfit Anderlecht.
The heart of the matter
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic (via talkSPORT), Frimpong has slammed Nasri for bullying him and singled out an incident that took place after Arsenal's loss to Liverpool.
He recalled, "After the game, everybody came into the changing room and Arsene [Wenger] was quiet, you know. He didn’t talk, and then Nasri basically stood up in front of everybody and said we lost the game because of me."
"Ok, I can understand that, but I was thinking, ‘Why would somebody - especially me playing, I think that was like my second game - why would any professional do that to a young player in that kind of moment?'"
Frimpong added, "To be honest, at that time when he left Arsenal, I could tell him what I actually thought about him because he was there so I could basically let him know my feelings. So I just told him that I don’t like him, I don’t respect him and I will never respect him as a professional player."
"You can ask Aaron Ramsey, you can ask Jack Wilshere. I never disrespected anybody. But for me, the truth is I’ve never liked Nasri and I will never, ever like this guy. Even if he gives me five billion dollars, I will still not like him."
In early 2012, Nasri further cemented his bad reputation to his former teammate during Arsenal's game against Manchester City.
Frimpong stated, "During the game, he told me he could buy me. That’s how stupid this guy is. He probably could then because he had millions, but that’s no respect."
"That’s what happened. I feel like he was a bully, I feel like he didn’t know his responsibilities as a senior player to be able to help younger players."
What's next?
While both players have moved on from the club, the Gunners have entered a new era under Unai Emery and are currently in their second season under the Spaniard's stewardship. They are set to travel to Merseyside to rub shoulders with Liverpool on Saturday.
