The curse of the Arsenal captain’s armband?! New captain to leave as a free agent after the season

The Arsenal captain’s armband is a bit of a curse. Virtually since the days of Thierry Henry, they haven’t found a long-term captain in north London. Most recently, this thesis was confirmed by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who left for Barcelona after a disciplinary infraction and disagreement with coach Mikel Arteta.

Following the Gabonese striker’s departure in January, Alexandre Lacazette took over as leader of the pack, but his contract expires in June and despite improved performances, a contract extension does not seem realistic. So after six months as captain, Arsenal will have to appoint a new leader.

Virtually since Henry’s departure in 2007, he has been tackling the captaincy role in north London. One of the worst captains in Gunners history was arguably William Gallas, who handed in his captain’s armband after just 18 months due to poor performances and indiscipline.

Cesc Fabregas took over the armband from the French defender but left for Barcelona in the summer of 2011, starting the “curse of the captain’s armband”. Van Persie left for Manchester United and Vermaelen, Arteta, Mertesacker and Koscielny gradually took over the captaincy, but none of them had a secure place in the squad. Thus, the deputy took over the duties.

Moreover, the Belgian stopper was plagued by frequent injuries and Arteta and Mertesacker suffered from frequent rotation of the line-up. This primarily affected the captains, who should have a fixed position in the team. After the forced departure of Koscielny, Granit Xhaka took over.

However, the Swiss midfielder quit as captain after open disagreements with the fans and Aubameyang, whose fate has already been discussed, took over. Lacazette was highest in the team hierarchy, but his contract expires after this season.

Mikel Arteta will have to choose a new captain for next season. The vice-captain is Kieran Tierney, who, after a long time, could meet the right characteristics of an Arsenal captain.

source: The Football Faithfull, Transfermarkt