I was upset with Arsenal supporters when I joined Man City – it wasn't for money

The former Arsenal defender has insisted his move to Manchester City in the early 2010s was purely a contractual decision from the club

Bacary Sagna admits he was directly upset at Arsenal fans for claiming he moved to Manchester City for money. Two of the Frenchman's former clubs will face off in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, with Sagna likely sat in the red side of Wembley.

The former Gunners defender insisted he was anticipating a new contract in north London but left when it didn't materialise. Sagna joined Arsenal in 2007, going on to make 284 appearances predominantly at right-back.

The France international had 29 goal contributions and won the FA Cup alongside then-captain and now manager Mikel Arteta. However, his time at Arsenal came to a bitter end just after the domestic cup win as he signed a deal with the then-reigning Premier League champions City.

His move didn't go down well with fans at the time, though, who claimed Sagna had jumped to Arsenal's rivals for monetary gain. The now-43-year-old has slammed these accusations and affirmed his stance that he didn't have cash on his mind when heading to Manchester.

He told Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction: "Leaving Arsenal, it was a very difficult decision for me to make. I remember being emotional at the start of the 2013-14 season without having really talked to anyone at the club, and I got frustrated. Emotionally, I think I was damaged, and this is the moment when I decided to leave.

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"I wanted to feel loved and respected - I knew I was loved and respected a lot, but contractually, I signed a new contract in 2008 and between then and 2014, I never changed my contract. So at that time, in 2013, I thought I deserved it [a new contract], but it didn't come."

Sagna admitted he knew his final appearance for Arsenal was coming the entire time and believed signing off with a trophy was the best way to end it. He added: "So I knew for that whole season that I was playing my last year for Arsenal, and that really hurt.

"You know, playing every single game, and going back to my house in London, knowing I'd be leaving in the summer... it was a really difficult time. We obviously won the FA Cup that year, although we were 2-0 down early on against Hull City, and I can just remember telling myself 'there's no way we are losing this game'.

"I knew it was my last game for the club, and so I was talking to myself throughout it, saying there was no way we could lose another cup final at Wembley."

Highlighting his upset at fans for their reaction, Sagna said: "I was also frustrated because I couldn't properly say goodbye to the fans, and it would have been nice to do that. I really wanted to do that, but it didn't happen in the end.

"What I actually got was the opposite; people got upset at me for leaving. But I gave my all for the club, and I never asked for anything - I was more than happy.

"I've always said, you'll not find another player that stays at your club for six seasons without complaining or asking for anything. You will not find that player. So when I left, and people said I left for money, I was upset.

"I was upset at the fans, because I felt like I had given them my life. You know, even when I wasn't at my best emotionally... I played for the club when I was injured, I played when I was a bit sick, I played when I lost my brother... and now you're saying I left for money?

"I found that very unfair, and I was very upset. With time, things went back to normal, but at first I was hurt."