Arsenal tweeted a birthday message to former player, Andrey Arshavin earlier today, however ended up deleting the tweet a couple of hours later.
The Russian signed from Zenit St Petersburg for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger in 2009 for a fee of £16million, which at the time was the Gunners record transfer fee.
Arshavin had a successful five-year tenure at the club, playing 144 games, scoring 31 goals and recording 46 assists during his time in North London.
Arsenal tweeted a birthday message to wish their former player well, after it was Arshavin’s 42nd birthday. However, the post received criticism from several Ukrainians due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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The criticism stemmed from reports suggesting that Arshavin had made previous statements indicating his willingness to fight for his country if called upon during the war.
Given the sensitive nature of the situation and the disappointment expressed by fans on Twitter, Arsenal ended up deleting the tweet. The club faced continued backlash for what was seen as an ill-timed message.
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