As part of a long-form interview that Arsenal centre-half Laurent Koscielny recently gave to Arsenal Magazine, the recently-turned-30-year-old defender talked about some of the changes, personal, professional, and club, that he has experienced since his arrival in London in 2010.
From a personal perspective, Koscielny and his wife Claire have started their family, and the Arsenal defender admitted it changed him as a person.
I was always quite chastened, reserved and stay-at-home, but having children helps you to put things in perspective, to stay grounded and to avoid thinking only about your own self. Now I live for my kids – I prepare their future. It’s very important for me.
As a player, Koscielny has grown in stature since his arrival, and the respect of his teammates is something that he is proud to have earned. Speaking of the dressing room, he noted the differences from when he first arrived.
I can feel the respect in the dressing room here. There is a difference from when I arrived. Now, the boys know that I am here, they can rely on me during games and they know I will never give up, never stop fighting for the team.
It is [important], although I don’t think I myself am important. But to know that your team-mates have faith in you, trust you and that there is respect between us, that’s crucial for me. We all feel good together.
Koscielny also noticed the change at the club since his own arrival, with the arrival of several Spanish and German players. He commented specifically on the ability of Arsène Wenger to bring the diverse personalities and styles together to build a cohesive team with a strong spirit.
The spirit is different. A lot of players have changed. There are not many left from 2010. That’s the life of a football club. The manager and the players change but only the club remains. There is a new philosophy.
We have signed some very technical players from Spain or Spanish speaking players like Nacho, Santi, Alexis and even Hector. That was a turning point. Then the Germans came too. And the boss has managed to gel everybody together. We have been playing together for a few years now.
Through it all, Koscielny feels that his time with the club has been well-spent, and that the recent highs (two consecutive FA Cup triumphs) have outweighed the lows (particularly the League Cup loss to Birmingham in the final during the 2010/11 season, his first final with the team). His attitude is buoyed by the fact that he has tried to keep the bad memories out of his head as much as possible.
I don’t think too much about the Birmingham game anymore but it will always be a very bad memory. It’s never nice to lose your first final with your new club but you learn from it. It has helped me for the rest of my career.
Losing a final like that, after making a mistake with my keeper made me work harder to make amends for it. The FA Cups, on the other hand, were pure joy!
