'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has announced his retirement from international football while also detailing the difficulty of not being able to play at the World Cup in Russia.
The 33-year-old sustained an Achilles injury in Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final game against Atletico Madrid towards the end of last season.
France went on to win the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Speaking with Canal+, the defender said, "The World Cup will remain a dark spot of my career."
"The injury was hard to accept. The result was even harder because they won the World Cup. I have a selfish side. I tell myself that I could have been part of the adventure and won the Cup. And I would have it in a corner of my head for the rest my life. It's difficult and no one can put themselves in my shoes."
Trending
"I was really happy for them, but also disgusted. You can not feel like a world champion, as the 60 million French could. It's a strange feeling that during the tournament I wanted them to qualify, but at the same time I wanted them to lose. That was my feeling at the time."
The Frenchman added, "It's my first big injury, mentally you're getting very strong, you're learning a lot about football and life, I've worked every day at St-Raphael, and put my family aside."
"These are things in life, and you have to face all of that, during my rehabilitation, I was selfish, I only thought of myself, and I did not pay attention to my family."
Koscielny spoke of France boss, Didier Deschamps bluntly for not offering him support during the injury, saying, "Deschamps called me once [since the World Cup], during my birthday in September. Lot of people disappointed me, and there are lots of other coaches. It feels like a slap on the face."
"I think I gave what I could give to the French team. The national team has a very good generation with great players."
"My injury has not changed my decision: for the Blues it's over for me. But I remain a supporter of the French team."
Koscielny has made 51 appearances for Les Blues.
Twitter has since been flooded with reactions to the news:
