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Former Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko has admitted that he used to support Arsenal when he was a boy.
The French international moved to Spurs from Newcastle in 2016, having starred in the European Championships that summer. Sissoko would go on to play 202 times for the north London club, even starting the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool.
Sissoko left Spurs for Watford after five years at the club. However, his time at the Hornets was unsuccessful as they suffered a meek relegation from the Premier League. The 33-year-old is now playing for Nantes, and was asked in an Instagram Q&A last month if he supported the Gunners.
According to The Boot Room, Sissoko wagged his finger to gesture that the answer was no, along with the emojis of white and blue. However, in a new interview with Nantes' YouTube channel, the midfielder revealed that he may not have been entirely truthful on his social media.
As quoted by Sport Witness, Sissoko stated:
“I’m going to get in trouble, but it was Arsenal when I was young, but when I signed for their enemies, Tottenham Hotspur, I stopped supporting them.”
Does former Tottenham midfielder actually support Arsenal?
Sissoko's most recent revelation about which team he supports would appear to back up an interview he conducted six years ago.
Shortly before his move to White Hart Lane, the Frenchman revealed his love for the Gunners due to their array of world-class talent from his country.
Sissoko also revealed that legendary Gunners captain Patrick Vieira was his "idol" growing up.
In a 2016 interview with Foot Mercato, Sissoko stated:
“Arsenal is one of the best clubs in Europe. Being followed by this kind of club proves that we have quality. It’s good to know. I hope that I will have the chance, soon, to play in this club or in a similar club. It’s a very big European club."
He continued:
“Everyone knows it, I often said it when I was young, Arsenal was my favorite club, because there were a lot of French players who went through it like Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès, Sylvain Wiltord, Patrick Vieira who was my idol. The great Arsenal team.”
The midfielder has so far played six times for Nantes since his summer move, with this being his first season in Ligue 1 since he left Toulouse in 2013. His new team is currently 16th in the table, having won only one of their first nine games.
