Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he may be forced to call on some of his reserve squad for the Gunners do-or-die UEFA Champions League group stage clash with Dinamo Zagreb. So while Wenger has plenty to worry about in getting in his own house in order before tomorrow night’s likely elimination clash, it hasn’t stopped him from also calling out the problems UEFA currently have.
In his pre Champions League tie press conference, Wenger was asked if he found UEFA’s regulations regarding drug testing to be strange.
Wenger responded: “Yes, of course.”
“It’s a surprising rule. UEFA applies the rule that is planned but I personally don’t agree with the rule. You cannot say that they had a doped player but the result stands.”
“That means you basically accept doping. But it is the rule and we accept that. We have to look at ourselves and deal with our own performance.”
Very strong words by the Frenchman today. He said that UEFA basically accepts doping. This is a topic that Wenger has been outspoken about for quite some time. He’s calling for stronger and better enforced rules but he also admits that’s he uncertain about how much public support he would get for his stances.
“I don’t know if I would have the support of anybody but I came out on that and as a result we had a doping control from UEFA on Friday,” the Gunners boss added.
“We had 10 people on Friday to control us. I do not want to speculate too much on the career of a player. In between (the match in September and now) he has been punished. There are two things: our performance on the day and the fact that they had a doped player.”
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