Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has suggested that Tottenham fans still hate him because of his skin colour.
Campbell, 50, made the switch between north London clubs in 2001 under the Bosman ruling after his Tottenham contract expired in what was one of football's most shock transfers.
The centre-back, who came through the ranks of the Spurs and was captain, had publicly stated that he would stay, before making the move to the Gunners, which led him to be branded 'Judas' by the fans of his former club. who subjected him. to a torrent of abuse.
Spurs fans have never really forgotten the way Campbell left and now the 50-year-old, one of the few players to have made the move, has wondered if there was an ulterior motive behind the abuse he is receiving.
“They don't know what they're doing,” he said during an interview with AFTV. “Because if you (Tottenham fans) still hang that up, you'll see what happens.”
“(You have) a new stadium, a new training ground, everything is amazing in the future and you are still talking about me. What is going on here?
Sol Campbell has wondered if Tottenham fans' hatred towards him is due to his skin colour.
Campbell moved from Spurs to Arsenal in what was a hugely controversial transfer
The center-back had stated that he would stay at Tottenham, before making the surprising move.
'Is it a color issue? Is it a color issue? Does it have any color? Is there any underbelly color that keeps you (Tottenham fans) going?
“Because there are so many other players who have made these kinds of moves, similar moves, you wonder: Is it a color thing or is it a mix-up?”
Campbell continued: 'If a black or Indian person says it, are you confused? Or does a white guy say it?
'What's happening, what's being maintained and allowing you to continue something that happened 25 years ago when I was young?'
Campbell previously apologized to Tottenham fans for the nature of the move but admitted he has no regrets about the move after a successful first spell at Arsenal.
And, when pressed again on this, Campbell added: 'In terms of football I have no regrets. When you were young I wanted to win, that's the thing.
'As a mature thing, that's breaking up again because you're looking back. As a young man I want to win, I think I have a limited time to win something.
'I'm going to do the same thing again. At least I can look back and say “look at the team I played on.”
Campbell said he had been subjected to a “hell of hate” upon his return to White Hart Lane.
Campbell hinted the continued abuse he receives from Spurs fans is due to a 'coloured thing'
Campbell's comments come after he reignited his feud with Tottenham fans ahead of Wednesday's north London derby by mocking their infamous switch during a recent TV advert.
In an ad for Google's Pixel phonesCampbell, who could be seen ditching a white jersey for a red one in a nod to his transfer, said: “It's that time of year again.” A time when people start to wonder if the grass could be greener.
'If they should change sides and allegiance. Believe me, big moves pay off.
'Sure, people will have opinions, but who cares what people think. Of course you can stay with them for another year, but is anything really going to change?
—It doesn't seem that way to me. So if you're thinking about transferring this January, I highly recommend you do it! It's not that you're doing anything outrageous.
“You're just switching to something much, much better… the Google Pixel!”
Campbell's free transfer is considered one of the most controversial in football, with the then 26-year-old defender receiving interest from across Europe before moving to Highbury.
Arsenal had kept the deal a secret, and journalists present at its launch expected to see Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright announced, before Campbell emerged for the press conference.
Campbell's comments came after he mocked his infamous change during a television commercial.
In an ad for Google's Pixel phones, Campbell urged fans to 'switch allegiances'
Campbell said he had been subjected to a “hell of hate” on his first return to White Hart Lane as an Arsenal player in 2001.
Campbell later admitted that the continued abuse, long after his retirement from the game in 2011, had impacted him.
“We are talking about almost a quarter of a century (since the transfer),” he said in a previous interview. 'Where do we go as human beings if someone can't move on?
'I don't think people realize how painful hate and vitriol are to me. I understand the situation, but it's been a long time.
Campbell, who played 315 times for Spurs, won five trophies during five seasons with the Gunners, before returning for a second spell in the twilight of his career.