He acknowledged that Charlton Athletic was crucial to an Arsenal player’s FA Cup and Europa League victories.
The 34-year-old has played for a number of European teams, such as Arsenal, Valencia, and Villarreal, and has frequently appeared in both the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League. However, if it weren’t for a brief loan stint at Charlton Athletic in the 2014–15 season, Coquelin might not have accomplished what he has in the game. The midfield player, who was 23 at the time of his temporary move to The Valley in November 2014, had not played in the league since returning from a Bundesliga loan with SC Freiburg the season before under Arsène Wenger.
It was evident that Coquelin had slipped well down the Emirates’ hierarchy at the time of his departure, as he had already made 43 first-team appearances for the Gunners before he was moved on loan to Charlton. Coquelin made his Championship debut from the bench against Leeds United at Elland Road, just over a month after becoming a stand-in at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. During Coquelin’s five games with the team, Charlton recorded one victory, three draws, and one loss. In December 2014, with Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, and Jack Wilshere all out due to injury, Coquelin was called up by Arsenal.
When Coquelin was sent on loan to Charlton, he might have worried that his time in North London was coming to an end because his contract with Arsenal was set to expire at the end of the 2014–15 season. According to Express.co.uk, he even later said that he was “angry” when Arsenal called him back from his loan stint at Charlton. “Yes, I was angry,” acknowledged Coquelin. “I recall sitting on the bench for the first few games after returning. “So, I didn’t get it. ‘I was playing every game at Charlton, but now that I’m back here, I’m not playing,’ I added.
“And I remember he [Wenger] said to me, ‘You’ll see, your chance will come’.” As it turned out, Coquelin made 22 Premier League appearances for the Gunners over the rest of the season, helping his team win 16 games, including thrilling victories against Manchester City and Liverpool. In February 2015, the Frenchman was rewarded with a new long-term contract, and he attributed his incredible comeback to the influence of his loan spell at The Valley, according to talkSPORT.
“They allowed me to play even though I wasn’t playing well, and I wasn’t out of shape when I returned. I believe that greatly aided me. If Coquelin had been sitting on the Arsenal bench prior to the Gunners’ midfield injury crisis in December 2014, rather than training with the first team and being match fit at Charlton, who knows how his career would have turned out? In addition to winning the Community Shield later that year, Coquelin concluded his incredible 2014–15 season by winning the FA Cup, the first of two he would win while at Arsenal.
Later, he helped Valencia win the Copa del Rey in Spain. In 2021, he helped Villarreal win the UEFA Europa League. It is safe to say that Coquelin made the most of his career after being sent on loan to Charlton in November 2014, as he went on to play in Ligue 1 for FC Nantes during the 2025–26 season, earning 105 Premier League appearances, 136 La Liga appearances, 39 UEFA Champions League appearances, and a few major honours.
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