Wenger calls for UEFA to show 'humility'
Reuters - Thursday 10 March 2011, 17:01
LONDON - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
likened UEFA to a dictatorship and said Europe's governing body
should show humility after he was charged with improper conduct
following the Champions League defeat by Barcelona.
Wenger and midfielder Samir Nasri were charged with using
"inappropriate language" towards Swiss referee Massimo Busacca
at the end of the match at the Nou Camp on Tuesday which Arsenal
lost 3-1 to go out 4-3 on aggregate.
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They were complaining about the sending-off of Arsenal
striker Robin van Persie who was shown a second yellow card for
kicking the ball away after the whistle had sounded for an
offside decision.
"We all understand that you can make wrong decisions but
after that it becomes dictatorship, it's not any more common
sense," Wenger told a news conference on Thursday ahead of
Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
"I think when you have a football game of that stature you
cannot come out with decisions like that and show a lot of
arrogance on top of that.
"I deny completely any charge. I do not understand where
that comes from," Wenger added.
"It is a shame for me that the referee took the decision to
send Robin van Persie off. It was the wrong decision.
"The first leg was a fantastic advert for football and the
second game has been destroyed. People now will only remember
the sending-off," added the Frenchman, who followed Busacca down
the tunnel to discuss the decision.
"It would be good for UEFA to show some humility, to
apologise for what has happened, not charge people who have done
nothing wrong."
Wenger and Nasri's cases will be heard by UEFA on March 17.