Platini attacks Wenger

[Numeric]

taken from 365

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he is stunned by UEFA president Michel Platini's attack on him in an interview with a French newspaper.

Platini, the head of European football's governing body, fired a couple of broadsides at the Arsenal manager during a frank interview with Grenoble daily Dauphine Libere, which was published on Tuesday.

The former France international slammed Wenger for having a business mentality rather than a football one.

And he also tore into the Gunners boss for calling for the introduction of video replays to rule on questionable refereeing decisions.

Wenger has been taken aback by Platini's criticisms.

"I am stunned by the aggressive content of Platini's words," he told L'Equipe.

"I am effectively a supporter of video assistance for referees, like all coaches, and I believe UEFA have an important role to play in this.

"I am for sporting justice and UEFA must be the guarantor of it."

Wenger added: "I am a supporter of good management of clubs, for financial equilibrium.

"And UEFA must equally support this idea. I am fighting for the future of the game and of football.

"I don't see why UEFA should take umbrage at ideas that are different from theirs."

In Platini's interview with Dauphine Libere, Wenger's name was raised during a question about the introduction of video technology.

Platini replied: "I like to talk about football, him (Wenger) about business. We must stop with Wenger and all that."

Platini then said he hoped video assistance would never come into football, adding: "It would make me happy that Arsene Wenger never sees it."

Later in the interview, Platini again targeted Wenger when asked about his thoughts on Romanian side CFR Cluj's unexpected victory over Roma in the Champions League last week.

"That is what makes football so great," Platini said. "It is what people like Wenger do not want, little clubs beating the big clubs, because they want their business."

weirdo

[Will]

Dunno what his problem is, what a freak... Hopefully he'll get the boot from Uefa.

[basslinejunkie]

hes a gobshite platini

[krimewave]

hes a gobshite platini

no doubt.

complete fcuking power crazed idiot.

[dan the acid man]

Bizarre, Wenger is one of the best managers going, to criticise him for being a good businessman is stupid.

[SlavikSvensk]

what a douchebag

[Will]

It's the idiots who run their clubs into the ground he should be attacking, not people run the clubs in a sensible manner...

[djfase]

Did platini not moan about the clubs in europe who are in debt not along ago???????????????????

Strange how the twat now moans about a club who are now profiting???

English bias yet again. Mind you thats the french for ya

[Numeric]

Platini now concedes he was too hard on Wenger :lol:

taken from 365

Platini has admitted he might have been overly critical of Wenger, telling Sud Ouest: "I was too hard on Arsene.

"My dad [Aldo Platini] told me off. He was the one who gave him [Wenger] his break (at Nancy)."

However, Platini went on to express his dislike for clubs that sign emerging talent at a young age - a policy regularly adoted by Wenger at Arsenal.

He added: "When I talk about business, what I am talking about is recruiting players when they are 13 or 14. I can't stand it."

clown

[krimewave]

I reckon it irks him to see France's most talented manager plying his trade in the UK.

[Will]

Probably.