Robin van Persie declined to take sides when asked to choose between former employers Manchester United and Arsenal. The player made a contentious move from the Emirates to Old Trafford in 2012 and was dubbed a traitor by certain sects of the Gunners faithful.
Van Persie’s old teams are set to clash on Sunday as the Red Devils kick off their Premier League campaign hosting last year’s runners-up. Ruben Amorim’s squad will be eager to demonstrate they’re not easy targets following a disappointing 15th-place finish, while Mikel Arteta’s men are setting their sights on the title after finishing second in each of the last three seasons.
Despite having controversially worn the jerseys of both English giants, Van Persie declined to declare his allegiance to either side when questioned about his preferences in March. In an interview with ESPN (via The Mirror) at the start of the year, the Dutchman was asked whom he preferred out of former team-mates Wayne Rooney or Thierry Henry.
His response was simply: “Pass, because they’re both so different and very good.” When pressed to choose between legendary managers Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, he gave a similar answer.
“Definitely both,” came his reply, giving the same diplomatic response when asked to pick between the clubs themselves. His indecisiveness even extended to the clubs’ respective rivals, Manchester City and Tottenham, with the ex-striker expressing frustration before completely avoiding a question about them.
The Dutchman, who is now managing Feyenoord, scored 132 goals in 278 matches for Arsenal before his controversial move to United, where he secured the Premier League crown in his debut season. Despite the furore surrounding his transfer, Wenger revealed Van Persie had voiced his wish to return to north London, but it simply wasn’t feasible.
Discussing their bond, Wenger said: “In 2012, he announced his intention not to extend his contract. All the big clubs were courting him. I sold him to Manchester United.
“The supporters were angry with me for this, but we could not match the offer. I managed to negotiate his departure for £24million, which was a huge amount at the time for a player with a year left on his contract. I had only the interest of the club in mind.
“My relationship with Alex Ferguson and Manchester United had improved by then, but every transfer is a polite game of poker where you attempt to give not anything away. Van Persie had a fantastic first six months at Old Trafford: he put the team on track for the Premiership title and made it even more difficult for us.”
Van Persie proved similarly prolific in Manchester, where he scored 58 times in only 105 games. And despite spending half as long at United, he won just as many major trophies there as he did in his eight years with Arsenal.
It’s a testament to Ferguson’s recruitment strike rate and ability to know precisely what his teams were lacking. However, every player reaches a point in their career when they can no longer make the cut at the necessary level.
Wenger went on to reveal Van Persie’s efforts to make it back to the capital as he continued: “After three years of the four that he signed for, he was injured, and [Louis] Van Gaal sold him to the Turkish club, Fenerbahce. He called me because he wanted to come back, but it was impossible: he was at the end of his career and we were investing in young players.”
