In a statement hitting back at Bordeaux ultras’ claims about him, Laurent Koscielny seemed to confirm his retirement from football last month, but all is not what it appears…

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal celebrates victory following the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on March 10, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal celebrates victory following the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on March 10, 2019. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Benoit Costil and Laurent Koscielny recently clashed with Bordeaux’s ultras.

The ultras accused the pair of a lack of leadership, and of “scandalous, sometimes racist” behaviour.

Responding to that accusation in a statement sent to Sud Ouest, Koscielny pointed out that an internal investigation revealed a “total absence” of evidence of alleged discriminatory remarks, and that the alleged witnesses never made any official report.

In another section of the same statement, Koscielny seemed to confirm that he had hung up his boots to bring an end to his playing days, but it seems as if this might not be the case.

RMC in France are reporting that Koscielny has not yet made a decision on his playing future.

Since January, he’s been working for the club in an ambassadorial role.

According to Koscielny, he was aware that Bordeaux were in difficulty, and he accepted the ambassadorial proposal to find a new way to help the club whilst also saving them his playing salary.

Bordeaux certainly do need help, as they sit bottom of Ligue 1. It’s no wonder tensions are brewing at the club right now.

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Bordeaux’s French defender Laurent Koscielny (L) fights for the ball against Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe on November 6, 2021. (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Koscielny spent the vast majority of his playing days with Arsenal, making over 350 appearances for the Gunners across nine seasons.

He made at least 30 appearances in each one of those campaigns except his last.

The centre-back’s spell ended badly, when he refused to go on Arsenal’s pre-season tour and forced a transfer through, before the PR disaster of his announcement video – taking off an Arsenal shirt to reveal a Bordeaux shirt underneath.

But with three FA Cups (including a cup final goal), two Community Shields, and plenty of key moments across his nine seasons in North London, there’s plenty to look back on fondly.