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Wenger hits out at reckless spending of rivals as he warns of financial doom
By MATT BARLOW
PUBLISHED: 09:32, 1 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:53, 1 August 2012
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Robin van Persie questions stalked Arsene Wenger around Asia to the point where he eventually snapped and refused to answer any more.
But there were other topics for Wenger to consider during Arsenal's pre-season tour, including the demise of Rangers, Chelsea's European triumph, Harry Redknapp's dismissal and the reign of Spain.
Swimming up stream: Arsene Wenger continues to battle against cash inequality
Is the Rangers experience a reminder of why Arsenal are so determined to balance the books?
AW: 'Europe at the moment is like the Titanic but we live in football like nothing matters. More than ever we have to run our club in a strict way because it looks like everybody suffers in Europe and I would be surprised if football is not touched by it at some stage.
'If you look at debt in football across Europe at the moment it is quite massive and we have to be responsible. We have to be ambitious but also make sure we are not getting in trouble financially.
'It is difficult for us because the wages in some other clubs are very high. But of course our players quite rightly compare themselves to the players of the other clubs.'
Contract rebel: Robin van Persie
Are newly oil-rich clubs like Manchester City and Paris St Germain changing Europe's footballing landscape?
AW: 'You have two kinds of club now in Europe – the very rich and the rest is very poor. We are not very poor. We consider ourselves in a privileged position because we have a massive income.
'But overall we are not mega-rich because we do not have unlimited resources. A club can buy players like PSG has done or Manchester City or Chelsea, with unlimited resources, but overall football suffers.
'Look at the activity on the transfer market since the start of the summer.
'PSG are ambitious and they have resources and that's it. We talk always about the same things. I don't think anything is new in that domain.'
Will Chelsea's Champions League win change anything in England?
AW: 'I don't see what it could change. Maybe it will wake up the appetite of Abramovich again. I'm proud when any Premier League club wins the Champions League. It shows how competitive the Premier League is because Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League and that is the real quality of a team. More than the Champions League it is about where you finish in the league. That just shows how good the Premier League is.'
Andre Villas-Boas is the ninth permanent Spurs manager during your tenure, were you surprised by Harry Redknapp's sacking?
AW: 'It was a complete surprise. I do not want to interfere. It came as a surprise. It happened at the end of the season. I don't know why. It is difficult to speak for him.'
The new man in charge: Andre Villas-Boas has replaced Redknapp
What are your reflections on Euro 2012?
AW: 'England did well. France did not so well but not as bad as everybody says because they went out against Spain, who won the competition. You cannot say they didn't do well. They had some attitude problems which was a worse experience for people who love football in France than the result. I don't think anybody could reproach the team for going out against Spain. The feeling was a little bit like in England, expectations were not so high.
'England did the maximum because they went out on penalties against a team that went to the final without losing a game.
'Spain were not convincing this time apart from the final. Technically, Spain play in a different league. They lacked a bit of penetration overall. Their system sometimes was less positive than in previous competitions because they just deprive you of the ball.
'Overall I have massive respect for this Spanish team. To do what they have done, winning the European Championship, the World Cup and then the European Championship again demands massive humility and massive intelligence.
'I've seen teams who win the World Cup and two years later. To come back with the same hunger, the same humility and the same togetherness, as Spain have done, is absolutely remarkable. For me the most remarkable thing is not on the football side but the mental side. It is a massive combination of intelligence and quality.'
What will be the impact of the Euros on the start of the new season?
AW: 'After a World Cup or the European Championships you're always in the same situation. It's a little bit of a concern but there's not much choice. The good thing for us is that the other clubs have the same problem. You want the players to do well in the Euros but you know that the players who go far take a while to recover and to get back their focus at the start of the season. You know you have to focus a bit more on the other players.'
What do you think of opinionated celebrity fans on Twitter like Piers Morgan?
AW: 'I am as proud to have someone not known to be a fan than to have someone who is known. For me, to be known is not a quality. To love the club is a quality. I take the opinion of somebody who is not known at all the same as somebody who is famous. For me, that does not really matter. We are happy to have him (Morgan) as a fan but a fan is a fan.
'In football, everybody has an opinion and everybody can be right but, at the end of the day, somebody has to make a decision. You do not neglect the opinions of other people. You respect everybody but you have to go with what you really feel is right. I have good experience and I know how we want to play. We have not been wrong too many times but we have to accept that no club makes only good decisions. We have to make more good decisions than others.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz22N79pKbs
By MATT BARLOW
PUBLISHED: 09:32, 1 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:53, 1 August 2012
Comments (125)
Share
Robin van Persie questions stalked Arsene Wenger around Asia to the point where he eventually snapped and refused to answer any more.
But there were other topics for Wenger to consider during Arsenal's pre-season tour, including the demise of Rangers, Chelsea's European triumph, Harry Redknapp's dismissal and the reign of Spain.
Swimming up stream: Arsene Wenger continues to battle against cash inequality
Is the Rangers experience a reminder of why Arsenal are so determined to balance the books?
AW: 'Europe at the moment is like the Titanic but we live in football like nothing matters. More than ever we have to run our club in a strict way because it looks like everybody suffers in Europe and I would be surprised if football is not touched by it at some stage.
'If you look at debt in football across Europe at the moment it is quite massive and we have to be responsible. We have to be ambitious but also make sure we are not getting in trouble financially.
'It is difficult for us because the wages in some other clubs are very high. But of course our players quite rightly compare themselves to the players of the other clubs.'
Contract rebel: Robin van Persie
Are newly oil-rich clubs like Manchester City and Paris St Germain changing Europe's footballing landscape?
AW: 'You have two kinds of club now in Europe – the very rich and the rest is very poor. We are not very poor. We consider ourselves in a privileged position because we have a massive income.
'But overall we are not mega-rich because we do not have unlimited resources. A club can buy players like PSG has done or Manchester City or Chelsea, with unlimited resources, but overall football suffers.
'Look at the activity on the transfer market since the start of the summer.
'PSG are ambitious and they have resources and that's it. We talk always about the same things. I don't think anything is new in that domain.'
Will Chelsea's Champions League win change anything in England?
AW: 'I don't see what it could change. Maybe it will wake up the appetite of Abramovich again. I'm proud when any Premier League club wins the Champions League. It shows how competitive the Premier League is because Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League and that is the real quality of a team. More than the Champions League it is about where you finish in the league. That just shows how good the Premier League is.'
Andre Villas-Boas is the ninth permanent Spurs manager during your tenure, were you surprised by Harry Redknapp's sacking?
AW: 'It was a complete surprise. I do not want to interfere. It came as a surprise. It happened at the end of the season. I don't know why. It is difficult to speak for him.'
The new man in charge: Andre Villas-Boas has replaced Redknapp
What are your reflections on Euro 2012?
AW: 'England did well. France did not so well but not as bad as everybody says because they went out against Spain, who won the competition. You cannot say they didn't do well. They had some attitude problems which was a worse experience for people who love football in France than the result. I don't think anybody could reproach the team for going out against Spain. The feeling was a little bit like in England, expectations were not so high.
'England did the maximum because they went out on penalties against a team that went to the final without losing a game.
'Spain were not convincing this time apart from the final. Technically, Spain play in a different league. They lacked a bit of penetration overall. Their system sometimes was less positive than in previous competitions because they just deprive you of the ball.
'Overall I have massive respect for this Spanish team. To do what they have done, winning the European Championship, the World Cup and then the European Championship again demands massive humility and massive intelligence.
'I've seen teams who win the World Cup and two years later. To come back with the same hunger, the same humility and the same togetherness, as Spain have done, is absolutely remarkable. For me the most remarkable thing is not on the football side but the mental side. It is a massive combination of intelligence and quality.'
What will be the impact of the Euros on the start of the new season?
AW: 'After a World Cup or the European Championships you're always in the same situation. It's a little bit of a concern but there's not much choice. The good thing for us is that the other clubs have the same problem. You want the players to do well in the Euros but you know that the players who go far take a while to recover and to get back their focus at the start of the season. You know you have to focus a bit more on the other players.'
What do you think of opinionated celebrity fans on Twitter like Piers Morgan?
AW: 'I am as proud to have someone not known to be a fan than to have someone who is known. For me, to be known is not a quality. To love the club is a quality. I take the opinion of somebody who is not known at all the same as somebody who is famous. For me, that does not really matter. We are happy to have him (Morgan) as a fan but a fan is a fan.
'In football, everybody has an opinion and everybody can be right but, at the end of the day, somebody has to make a decision. You do not neglect the opinions of other people. You respect everybody but you have to go with what you really feel is right. I have good experience and I know how we want to play. We have not been wrong too many times but we have to accept that no club makes only good decisions. We have to make more good decisions than others.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz22N79pKbs
). His philosophy is directly aligned with my way of thinking. You see how the Glazers selling stock (overpriced by the way as they are forecasting raising £200m for 10% putting the club at a market cap of £2b) they are doing this to set a valuation that they can use to justify a high sales price. Look for Manu** to be sold...presumably to another oil-soaked buyer and the system will continue to devour itself. The disparity is such that you can't see promoted teams ever challenging for honours like in the olden days. The money really has ruined the game.
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