On May 3 last year, Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny ruptured his Achilles tendon just 12 minutes into the second-leg of the Gunners’ Europa League semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid. Almost a year on, the Frenchman has opened up about the injury.
Despite being unable to help Arsenal to the final and missing France’s World Cup triumph last summer, the 33-year-old believes the injury has had a positive impact on both his life and career.
“Sometimes in life we are focused on small things and it can’t be good for you,” said Koscielny.
“I learned about my life, about the people around me. It’s a difficult experience but I loved it because sometimes your eyes are opened more than before.
“When you don’t have the injury, it’s difficult to know about this situation. When you do have it, you grow up as a footballer but also as a man.
“You fight with yourself because you are a competitor and you want to come back to your level or maybe even more. I did this over seven months and I continue to fight.
“It’s not about my age or my injury, it’s because you want to win everything when you are a competitor.
“It was a big challenge for me to fight against my injury and I think I did well. I’m positive about this. It’s a new semi-final against a new Spanish team, but my life is now moved on from this moment and I need to live with it.
“Now it’s OK and it’s behind me. I’m very positive about where I am. I will always fight for my club, for me and my family as well. I’m just happy and enjoying my time on the pitch.”
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