Alessandro Costacurta has revealed that he chose not to sign for Tottenham Hotspur when he was younger because it would have been “high treason”.
The legendary AC Milan defender received an offer to join Gerry Francis’ side in 1996 but, although he was tempted by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, he could not be disloyal to his Arsenal-supporting roots.
“The idea of living in London was very exciting,” Costacurta told the official matchday programme. “But I finally refused and you know why? Because I couldn’t betray my English love. The truth is that I’ve been a keen Arsenal fan since my childhood, and playing for ‘our’ bitter rivals would have been high treason.