Arsenal is a football club steeped in history and culture.
Even the official club website mentions how a “diversity of background, skills and experience” contribute to success on and off the pitch – Arsenal also famously became the first club to name nine black players in a Premier League starting XI back in September 2002 against Leeds United, with Thierry Henry, Nwankwo Kanu and Kolo Toure all getting on the scoresheet.
The Gunners pride themselves on this culture and working in line with traditions – a notion Mikel Arteta has attempted to add to at Arsenal with the introduction of the North London Forever anthem, which fans loyally bellow before games.
“North London Forever!”
It hasn’t taken long for new @Arsenal signing Riccardo Calafiori to feel at home 🔴 pic.twitter.com/yb8JrdNhpw
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 3, 2024
However, there was another tradition at Arsenal – which Mathieu Flamini broke not once, but twice, to leave Arsene Wenger furious.
How Mathieu Flamini cutting his sleeves caused uproar
The north Londoners once held the tradition of every player wearing the same sleeve length as the captain – which was implemented to show unity and togetherness.
It existed long before Wenger arrived in N5 back in 1996 – but quickly fizzled out after Flamini took matters into his own hands for a Premier League clash against Manchester United back in November 2013.
Despite Thomas Vermaelen opting for long sleeves on the day – which nine other players copied – the Frenchman chose to cut his sleeves off, leaving kitman Vic Akers livid.
Speaking on Instagram Live back in 2020, he said: “I went mad. I went mad, I didn’t realise that he had done it until they went out.
“Manchester United had a sort of bin, a rubbish bin, just by the back of the door and as the team were leaving and going out I would go out at the end. As I went to go past this bin I saw the sleeve in it…anyway, it all went off in the dressing room afterwards… it was a little bit of a shouting and screaming job after the game.”
Mathieu Flamini continued to defy Arsenal tradition – leading to public criticism from Arsene Wenger
Despite causing a scene at Old Trafford, a game Arsenal lost 1-0 thanks to a goal by Robin van Persie of all players, Flamini, who is now a billionaire, did not take any notice.
The man born in Marseille again chose to cut his sleeves during a 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Marseille shortly after that 1-0 loss at Manchester United, leading Wenger, who rates Ethan Nwaneri highly, to say: “I do not like that and he will not do that again. I was surprised he did that. We don’t want that.”
Flamini – however – was defiant, adding: “I’ve been playing at the top level for ten years. I like to wear short sleeves, that’s what I like to do.”
In an age where player power is rife, Arsenal were always going to struggle to maintain this tradition – and it now ceases to exist at the Emirates Stadium.
