Samir Nasri signed for Sevilla after manager 'allowed drinking and visits to nightclub'

Sevilla manager Jorge Sampoali allowed Samir Nasri to 'drink and visit nightclubs' in order to bring him to Spain, shortly before the Frenchman's career came to an end

Joseph McBride US Sports Reporter

07:00, 26 Jun 2022Updated 07:07, 26 Jun 2022

Samir Nasri was allowed to go out and party at Sevilla(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Samir Nasri was once one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League, but secured a move to Sevilla in 2016 when his career took a nosedive.

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The Frenchman starred for Arsenal after moving from French giants Marseille in 2008, and made the controversial move to Manchester City in 2011 before going on to win two Premier League titles. Nasri made a fine start to life at City, but his form began to suffer and he was loaned to Sevilla as a result.

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However, it was later revealed why Nasri was soon keen to join the Spanish side, and he began to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons. And that's because drinking and partying was allowed under former Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli.

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"I had a friendly relationship with Sampaoli, he was a friend more than a coach," Nasri told Reuters. "Sampaoli liked me so much that he said to me 'Come to our team, you can drink, go to nightclubs, do what you want and I'll cover your back. All I ask is that you play well on the pitch on the weekend'.

"In fact, one weekend I wasn't able to play and I wanted to go home and see my family and he offered to watch my house and look after my dog." But what started out as a dream scenario for Nasri quickly turned into a nightmare, as he was banned from football.

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In February 2018, Nasri was given a six-month ban from football from UEFA for breaching World Anti-Doping Agency rules by receiving an intravenous drip, with his ban from football later extended. This was after the Frenchman visited a clinic in Los Angeles, which Nasri blamed for 'ruining' his season, and eventually his career.

Nasri's loan move to Sevilla was a flop(Image: AFP/GETTY )

"What happened in Los Angeles ruined my season." Nasri said. "It was an injection of vitamins that was legal and I had a prescription but the clinic injected me with a greater amount than I had expected.

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"I was destroyed because I thought I was going to be banned for two years. I didn't want to play any more after that. I even told Sampaoli to leave me out, but he always wanted me to play.

"I was lost, I was anxious and angry with everything. I didn't show it on the pitch but football was over for me." Nasri was sold to Antalyaspor in 2017, and after failed stints at West Ham and Anderlecht, the Frenchman called time on his career in 2020.

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