Bacary Sagna claims he wasn’t surprised when Arsene Wenger eventually decided to end his 22-year spell at the club, since the Frenchman had clearly lost the fans.

Sagna spent seven seasons under Wenger, developing into one of the top right-backs in the league, before eventually leaving for Manchester City. That transfer didn’t go nearly as well as the player hoped, and he’s now plying his trade in the MLS with Montreal Impact.

Looking back on his former boss, and how things ended between Wenger and Arsenal, Sagna admits it’s a shame the way supporters turned on him. By the end though, he felt the manager’s departure was inevitable.

“I was expecting it,” he said (via Sport Witness). “Looking at how the fans had turned on him, what came next was logical. I don’t think he could have continued in that context. It’s quite a shame. Leaving like that after all he brought to the club. He changed the image of English football.

“Not everything can always go perfectly. He had good moments with Arsenal. Always tried to keep a certain ethic in order to play and help develop youngsters, especially English. He’s criticised when he’s trying to help football.

“English people complain about always having more foreign players, to not have enough space for local talent, but when a manager, who’s also French, does it, gives English players a chance, he’s criticised by the press…”

That’s one thing it’s pretty hard to deny when talking about Arsene Wenger and his spell at Arsenal. You can argue over what he achieved in terms of results in his final years at the club, but it’s almost undeniable that he always tried his hardest to maintain Arsenal’s values.

That meant giving chances to young players, showing class and loyalty to everyone involved with the club, and sticking to a philosophy of trying to play exciting, attacking football.

In the end it wasn’t enough, but the former boss can still be proud of everything he gave to the club over the years.