National
Wenger puts his club first
ARSENAL manager Arsene
Wenger has warned any player
who may be contemplating their
Arsenal future that what is
good for the club'' will always
come first.
Alexander Hleb's agent claims
the Belarus winger will leave this
summer, amid suggestions he is
ready to buy out his contract to
sign for Inter.
French midfielder Mathieu
Flamini has already walked out
on a free transfer, joining AC
Milan.
Wenger, however, maintains
individual desires will always
play second fiddle to the bigger
picture.
I have a responsibility, it is not
what I like, it is not what the players
like, it is what is good for the
club. That's the only decision I
will make,'' Wenger said.
When we do that, afterwards,
if you are happy or not happy, it
is less important than that the
club is happy.
If you have a choice between
three million people are happy or
one is happy, the choice is made
quickly.''
Wenger also suggested talk of
players like Hleb buying out the
remainder of their contract
under new FIFA guidelines - following
the test case of Andy Webster
in Scotland - was not as
straightforward as has been
made out.
You can't come in the next
day and buy out. There is no rule
at all that says what it is about.
You have to go to tribunal, to
go first to FIFA, and if you don't
agree with FIFA you have to go to
CAS (the Court of Arbitration for
Sport).
It takes a lot of months. You
(the player) can be banned for the
whole period if it is not done in a
proper way.''
Wenger, whose third-placed
side travel to Sunderland for
their final game of the season tomorrow,
insisted maintaining the
right footballing values'' must
always come first.
He said: What is a big club? Is
it only down to trophies? This
club here has a history of being
built by people of values.
For me that is a big club, a
club that comes out of people's
desire to respect values. Look at
our whole history, it's clean.
That is why at the head of the
club you have a responsibility to
keep these values and to make
sure that people who come after
you can be proud.
They may say this manager
didn't win enough trophies, but
the club has kept its reputation
within the values for the whole
history. That is vital.''
Despite the doom-mongers already
predicting a player exodus
and a bleak future, Wenger insists
he is not short of options to
strengthen his squad this summer.
There are plenty of players
who want to join us, don't worry,
we have no problem on that
front,'' he said.
What is unbelievable is I'm
sitting here like we have killed all
the players and when I go to my
office I have 220 calls from players
who want to come in.''
What we need next year is two
or three players maybe."
9:13am Saturday 10th May 2008
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