After Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, another former Arsenal player has now confirmed their retirement and subsequent move into coaching.
Arsene Wenger’s 22-year spell at Arsenal saw him manage some top-class players, but his time did not end in the best way as the quality of his squad declined, during a time of continuous transfer failures under previous ownership structures and directors, with Dick Law blamed for a lot of recruitment mishaps.
One of his worst signings in his final two years was German defender Shkodran Mustafi. The centre-back joined from Valencia as a World Cup winner for a fee of £35m, making him the most expensive defender in Arsenal’s history at the time.
After a bright start, in which Mustafi was unbeaten in his first 21 games, his performance levels dropped, and he would make countless calamitous errors at the back during a turbulent period.
Eight years after he first joined Arsenal under Wenger, Mustafi has now announced his retirement from football.
Shkodran Mustafi announces retirement from football, will move into coaching role with Germany
Mustafi has now confirmed that he will retire from football, and the 32-year-old will now join the Germany under-17 setup as an assistant coach.
“It is a shame because I would have liked to have played football myself for longer. I’ve had the idea of gaining experience as a coach for a long time. I want to pass on to the boys all the experience I gained during my time with the under-15s, under-21s and of course with the senior national team,” Mustafi stated.
After leaving Arsenal in 2021, Mustafi went on to play for Schalke and Levante, but after just 28 appearances, and two relegations across both clubs, he has now ended his playing career.
Mustafi played 151 times for Arsenal, scoring nine times, which included goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Manchester City, but his legacy is that of one of the club’s poorest performers during a few troublesome years under Wenger and Unai Emery. However, he may be better suited to coaching.
Arsene Wenger predicted Shkodran Mustafi coaching career after Arsenal arrival
Mustafi’s bright start at Arsenal led to praise from Wenger in October 2016, but whilst his comments may seem bizarre in terms of his playing ability, they do hint that he may be destined for better success as a coach.
“Mustafi is a player who is highly focused. On that front he is a typical German. He wants to do the job well every day and he speaks his mind. He is vocal in the dressing room,” Wenger stated of Mustafi.
“He is not a quiet guy who hides. He speaks out with his opinion and communicates a lot. Even when you isolate the pictures of the game and look at that he speaks a lot during the game.”
Mustafi’s vocal nature on the pitch was apparent for all the wrong reasons, as fans would be frustrated by the defender berating his teammates for goals in which he was culpable. However, as a coach within a youth setup, this could perhaps set him up well for a career in management, which is not usually aligned with performance levels as a player.
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