Eurosport - Thu, 13 Aug 10:50:00 2009
Alexander Hleb admits he made a mistake in leaving Arsenal last summer.
The Belarus midfielder has returned to Stuttgart, four years after he left the Bundesliga side, on a year-long loan deal after a difficult season at Barcelona. Hleb rarely featured as the Catalans stormed to the treble and he believes he should never have left North London.
He told ESPN: "Of course I regret leaving Arsenal. I was playing every week for one of the most exciting sides in Europe, a team which was always in the top four in the Premier League and were Champions League contenders."
He added: "Also, I was being guided by one of the best coaches in the world in Arsene Wenger. I owe him a great deal.
"I developed a better all-round game under him and I became more robust physically, learnt to look up more and play better passes and generally improved greatly as a team player. No player ever gets worse under Wenger. For me, leaving Arsenal was not a good move.
"A footballer only exists when he takes to the field and makes a proper contribution to the team and even though I was part of a Barca squad that was almost unstoppable, it was hard not to feel detached from all the happiness and celebration at the end."
Arsenal also had a poor season as they finished in fourth place in the Premier League, 18 points behind Manchester United who also dumped them out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage, winning 4-1 on aggregate. However, Hleb feels Arsenal can usurp United this season.
"Obviously, I still look out for Arsenal each week and I hope they can do well this time," he added.
"I think they will be in the top four again and could even push for the title if they don't have the terrible injuries of last season.
"People forget the long unbeaten run they had after Christmas last season, which was a good sign for this season."
Comment 1 - 16 of 16
Hleb is an excellent player that moves well with the ball at is feet. He is a Great player that should never have left. Arsenal. Arsenal will surprise a lot of people this season but not me. They just need a good DM and one more CB. and the title is theirs for the taking.
arsenal not that good anymore to many good players left
come on celtic
Veiara, Flamimi, Hlep ...........etc they where toooooo good under Arsene but they failed when they lift us ( ARSENAL)
apart from King Henry the great he did well last season with Barca
the million £ question is Ade will score & do well with man city I'll leave it to u
Hleb should've thought about this before leaving the club. Then again, I don't think the Gunners would've gotten Nasri, Wilshere and Ramsey had Hleb stayed. Even though we could've used Hleb for the present time, at least the Gunners' future is secured. Hleb, better luck next time.
Hleb did a great job at arsenal. I think it takes a man to admit he was wrong and has made a mistake and learn to be a better man for it, i think if he wanted to come back and arsena wenger allowed it if he could not get vieira back, we need a mid-field leader and enforcer fabegras will be going to barc make no mistake about it and wenger knows this .so what to do is win silver ware and keep players like i wrote vieira or hleb which now he would be different also wenger will be thinking long term who will still be here in 3 years time or 5 years the youth , wilshire,ramsey,wilcot hoyte etc that is why we need to be patience and we will win agin good luck to us gunners forever .
Think before u do something people
I find it funny when people who purport to be arsenal fans come out and question the quality of players like hleb and flamini now that they have left. do you not remember how we all used to heap praise at their feet week in and week out while they were playing for us? I felt betrayed when they left too, particularly by hleb(I always thought he was the better of the two), but he fact that they left doesnt take away all the talent we all saw during those years. hleb Knows he can never come back, anyone that thinks this is groveling to try and get back in wenger's good graces doesnt understand the blatantly obvious fact that Viera is a special case (a special player who gave arsenal a long and dedicated service, and that his possible return is driven by arsenal's desperate need for a strong midfield enforcer, and viera is the best/only decent one available at the moment in arsenal's price range, and not by a change in Wengers no return policy). Hleb surely understands this. people forget that before Anelka signed with chelsea, he told Wenger he really wanted to come back to the club to make amends for his first stint and the rule wasnt even broken for him. so I reiterate, hleb knows he cant come back, and this isnt groveling, its the case of a player standing up and admitting his mistakes, which is something not often done by players with no chance of a return. its is an action that deserves our respect as Arsenal supporters, not our mockery.
The fact remains that you left so shut the @#$% up man and leave arsenal alone mr nobody man
Hmmmmm, You should have taught it through before you jumped ship, Life is never always greener on the otherside, I'm sure grinding it out with Arsenal last season coming 4th would have felt better than winning the treble, while sitting onthe bench. Oh well, I hope Adebayor and Toure hear you Hleb, Mark my words, they will regret leaving Arsenal as well, it always happens, I know TH14 would have loved to win it all with Arsenal, but at least he never left Arsenal on his way to Barca, he still felt like he was part of the team, same with Pires and Vieira. Flamini, come out and admit it too, you wish you didn't go to AC Milan too. Arsenal is magic, trust me, as much as Barca is tempting for Cesc, he knows now is not the time to go, otherwise he will regret it too.
never rated hleb still don't I would have Nasri, Rosicky, Walcott and wilshere over him at least hleb can admit he was wrong to leave arsenal but I would never take him back.
Arsenal was fantastic and such an exciting side ... I loved playing there and Arsene Wenger was magnificent and taught me so much. So I left them pronto and went to Spain! But then I didn't get to play to much for my new team so I thought if I grovelled a bit then maybe I could come back.
HOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Remain Flamini ///////////////// We don't like you anymore /////////////////
Silly boy. if he took the time to look at his position and see what players already played in his place he would have seen he never got a look in. his mistake now put him back where he started.
I do question though. his nice comments about the team and coach. arsene kissing perhaps?
if they would sign vieir after he left. please mr wenger have me back too?
HA HA HLEB YOU MADE YER BED NOW LAY IN IT
i thought he left because he didnt enjoy life in england?
Well `greed over need` Hleb too late now young man
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