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Mercenary, Traitor and Glory Hunter are just some of the terms used by Arsenal fans to address Robin van Persie. Arsenal's once-priced possession is now a subject of hate for the fans.
How it started
Robin van Persie signed for Arsenal in 2004 as a lanky left-winger. But Arsene Wenger soon helped him develop into a world-class centre-forward.
Van Persie became a phenomenal attacker who would go on to score 37 goals in all competitions in the 2011-12 season. This performance would ultimately earn van Persie the ‘Premier league Golden Boot’ and take his tally to 132 goals in just 278 appearances for the club.
In the same year, van Persie would even win the ‘Football Writer’s Association’ and ‘PFA POTY’ award.
How things took a drastic turn
Even though things looked great from the outside, not everything was right behind the scenes. Despite his goal-scoring record, van Persie was plagued by injuries. Indeed, he missed no less than 70 games due to injuries during his time at the club.
You might wonder if that was the reason why Arsenal fans despised him?
No way.
Though his fitness issues were frustrating, the club and the fans always stood by him. It was what he did after 2011-12 that spoiled their relationship. Van Persie was about to hit 29 and yet he just had an FA Cup trophy and Community Shield to showcase for his eight seasons with the club.
With a year left on the player's contract. He felt that his prime time is running out, and hence wanted to add some silverware to his collection.
Rift between van Persie and Arsenal
He held a secret meeting with club officials at the end of the season to discuss his future.
As if this wasn’t enough, to make matters worse, he published a damning message on his website:
“I personally have had a great season, but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the team back to its glory days. Unfortunately, in this meeting, it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward” Robin van Persie- Personal website- July04,2012
Arsenal fans were incensed but had no idea how much worse it would get for them. The real shock came when Robin van Persie joined bitter rivals Manchester United in the summer of 2012.
Van Persie's betrayal
Arsenal fans felt shocked and betrayed by the former captain. The fans could not believe how van Persie could turn his back on them so quickly. Even worse, Robin van Persie’s first season in Manchester was the stuff of dreams. It was a fairytale season in which he won the Premier League title and the Golden Boot.
Arsenal finished in third place, sixteen points behind their bitter rivals, that season. While many Arsenal fans still haven’t forgiven him for his deeds. In hindsight, many have started to think that van Persie was right in choosing to move away from North London.
What do you think?
