Laurent Koscielny, once a commanding figure in Arsenal’s defence and former club captain, recently celebrated a legal victory against Florian Brunet, the leader of Bordeaux’s main supporters’ group, Ultramarines.

• Laurent Koscielny, the former Arsenal captain, wins a lawsuit against Florian Brunet, head of Bordeaux’s Ultramarines.
• The incident took place during Koscielny’s stint with Bordeaux, after his departure from Arsenal.
• Koscielny’s time at Bordeaux ended with his contract being terminated and him retiring from football.

As reported by L’Équipe, Brunet has been found guilty of public insult, an incident that transpired during Koscielny’s time at Bordeaux following his departure from Arsenal.

The altercation occurred during a game against Montpellier last season, with Brunet accusing Koscielny and then-teammate Benoît Costil of exhibiting racist behaviour.

However, the lawsuit saw Koscielny vindicated, supported by 20 testimonies from his former teammates denying any such allegations.

The French international, who joined Arsenal in 2010, quickly established himself as a core part of the defence, eventually wearing the captain’s armband.

Koscielny’s journey from Arsenal to Bordeaux in 2019 wasn’t without its controversies.

His final season with Les Girondins was riddled with challenges, leading to a mutual termination of his contract in January 2022.

Koscielny then announced his retirement from football.

Brunet has been fined €1,500 for the public insult and mandated to pay €5,000 in damages.

Koscielny, showing the same leadership that he demonstrated during his time at Arsenal, has decided to donate this sum to charity.

Brunet, on his part, expressed regret over his choice of words, especially the term “fascist”.