Kagame’s comment is the lowest of lows for Arsenal

As each season passes, Arsenal show signs that they are a shadow of themselves rather than the once-glorious and dominant force they were in the world.

The 2020–21 season was a new low for the North London club where they finished in a disappointing eighth place thereby not making it into any European competition for the first time in almost three decades.

Such disappointments need to be moved past quickly in order to make amends and improve. However, their season opening 2–0 defeat at Brentford, who were making a return to the top-flight since 1947, left an extremely sour taste in people’s mouth, chief of whom was Rwanda president Paul Kagame, who took to social media to air his frustrations.

“…Arsenal and the fans don’t deserve to kind of get used to this….NO !!! I say this as one of the big fans of Arsenal. The change has taken too long to come!” Kagame tweeted.

“It’s been a struggle of about decade(s) — ups & downs — more downs until this point. Can’t we have a plan that really works?? One part to look at is how we deal in the market- players we buy to execute the plan. The touch & go mentality does not bring change.”

Kagame went on to seemingly lay blame at the Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, for the club’s woes, this in spite of the former club captain landing two titles.

“We just must NOT excuse or Accept mediocrity. A team has to be built with purpose to win win win. So that when we lose….it was not to be expected! I am sure we all know on whose shoulders the heaviest burden rests. I hope they know too or even accept it!!!,” his tweet further read.

Arteta in a recent press conference responded back to Kagame’s claims, agreeing poor results can’t be tolerated but did not agree that the Rwandan president was taking a dig at him.

“I agree that Arsenal should not accept mediocrity. I totally agree with that,” Arteta stated.

“I’m talking about the lack of clarity in the messages and using moments to try to come and using some very disrespectful ways to describe certain things. That’s what I’m saying. Nothing new.

“No, it’s not about pointing, it’s about expressing the feelings that are so obvious in moments like this.”

Whatever Arteta’s feelings are towards what Kagame said, it is no denying that the Rwandan president's remarks really hit hard.

It is very unusual for a head of state to make very critical remarks about a sports team in public even if he’s a fan of the team, for the obvious reason of trying to project a positive image for sports at all times. Kagame’s comments are even more absurd considering Arsenal have a partnership deal with the Rwandan government that aims to promote tourism in the emerging East African country.

However, Kagame making these comments is a sign that things are becoming extremely unbearably for Arsenal fans. It's normal to see football players and other prominent figures take aim at Arsenal’s performances, but yet very little has changed on the pitch.

Perhaps Kagame’s scathing remarks as a highly-rated political figure, are the kind of comments Arsenal need to have a reawakening from their long-running misery.

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Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

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