Gunnersauras sacking slated by Arsene Wenger with Arsenal decision ‘incomprehensible’

Arsene Wenger has labelled Arsenal's decision to sack club mascot Gunnersaurus as “unjustifiable” and “incomprehensible”.

Jerry Quy, who has been in the suit since 1993, was one of 55 members of staff the Gunners laid off due to the coronavirus crisis.

Gunnersaurus is a hugely popular mascot and regularly spends time with fans and local children, as well as attending numerous charity events.

The decision to make Quy redundant came on the same day as Arsenal signed Thomas Partey in a deal believed to be worth £45million.

Shortly after the news was announced, Mesut Ozil, the club’s top earner – who has been deemed surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta – offered to pay his salary.

Ozil wrote on Instagram: “I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @officialgunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years.

“As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much.”

Arsenal hero Paul Merson also joined in the backlash claiming bosses at the Emirates are “out of touch”.

He told the Star last month: “Binning their mascot just shows how selfish and out of touch the people who run the club are these days.

“You cannot believe how angry I am about this. It is unbelievably shocking at the highest level.

“Arsenal used to ooze class. I don’t think the owners even know what that word means any more.”

And now Wenger, whose entire tenure at Arsenal involved the mascot has slammed the treatment of Quy.

Wenger claimed the decision to make Quy redundant was unjustifiable

“The decision was financially unjustifiable. I don’t know what got into them,” he told So Foot.

"No one can understand it. Everyone who loves Arsenal didn’t take the decision well. I’m part of them.

“They laid off 55 people, which could possibly be explained by a certain reorganisation, a desire for efficiency.

"The mascot cannot be justified by a desire to rebalance finances. It’s incomprehensible."