Koscielny: It’s all over for me

– Arsenal centreback Laurent Koscielny (above), who missed France’s World Cup triumph in Russia due to injury, said on Sunday his international career was “finished”.

The 33-year-old had intended to retire from international duty following the tournament, but was ruled out of Didier Deschamps’ squad for the finals after rupturing his Achilles tendon a month before the tournament.

“The injury is one thing, the World Cup win is another. The victory certainly hurt me much more psychologically than my injury,” Koscielny told Canal Plus.

“The World Cup will remain a dark stage of my career and my life.”

“I think I’ve given what I could to the France team. I’m 33 now. I’ve been to two Euros, a World Cup. For me, my injury hasn’t changed anything,” he said.

“It’s over with Les Bleus. I will always be a France supporter but what is sure is that I will never put on the blue shirt again.”

Koscielny has yet to return for Arsenal since hurting himself during the second leg of last season’s Europa League semifinal defeat by Atletico Madrid.

“I have a new mindset. There will be the Laurent before and the Laurent after the injury. I want to carry on at Arsenal and I want to come back soon,” he said.

“I don’t know what level I’m going to have because I haven’t resumed training yet, but I want to fight in any event.”

Koscielny made his France debut in November 2011 in a friendly against the United States. He earned the last of his 51 caps in a 3-1 victory over World Cup hosts Russia in March. –

Paris