Arsenal-Mania

Wenger: Milan success affected us

By Jonathan Chong on Friday, June 27, 2008

Manager Arsčne Wenger has revealed that his team's success over Italian giants AC Milan in last season's Champions' League had an adverse effect on the team.

The Frenchman claimed that after the 2-0 win in the San Siro, other clubs were aware of the quality of his players and this speculation was a constant distraction in the Arsenal dressing room.

He was probably referring to the tapping up of Alexander Hleb by Inter Milan.

Wenger said: "That game in Milan did us a lot of good, but also some bad.

"Overall it was a convincing team performance and we gained a lot of credit all over the world through that game – but also maybe at that time a lot of clubs became interested in our players.

"This game for me unsettled our season. Others teams and agents started to look at our players, releasing stories into the press, and it had a disturbing influence on us.''

User Comments

5

L.A

Posted on 29 Jun, 2008 at 02:02 AM - Reply

Football is losing its way and Arsenal unfortunately seem to be getting taken for a ride. Nobody has a youth program like ours but at the same time, the club doesn't want to spend money to keep the players. I'm still mad at the fact we only let titi go for the shallow price when the season before clubs were bending over willing to pay 50mil 150,000 a week wage. I think the club needs to start being a little loose with the change. As far as Adebayor, he can go and jump of a cliff, he is just too excited by the attention he is getting and will go to milan and spend a season on the bench. Good luck to him.
I hope Walcott steps up this season, i have high hopes for him, as well as van persie, his dangerous when he is fit. The end.

4

Afridi Gunner

Posted on 28 Jun, 2008 at 03:14 PM - Reply

You know what players at arsenal are at that caliber becoz they r players of ARSENAL...any of them playing anywhere else would not be the same

3

Ray Stone

Posted on 28 Jun, 2008 at 09:58 AM - Reply

This will continue to be an issue and we have to deal with it - it's today's football/business environment. We play great football but the strategy of finding and training up brilliant young prospects will always carry that danger when they are seen to be great and start to grow on the European stage. We can't afford to pay the very top wages at the upper player level apparently - presumably because of the stadium debt. But what are the options? Not very attractive ones for a traditional club and it's true supporters.
If we fail to win a major trophy next season I can see Fabregas being tempted away. Maybe Arsene will make him captain next season to help prevent that.

2

johnny

Posted on 27 Jun, 2008 at 05:53 PM - Reply

haha first comment!
i think ac milan and barcalona should piss off and leave our players alone, just because they are jelous of the way we play they ahh cant be bothered to write no more

1

knaps

Posted on 27 Jun, 2008 at 12:23 PM - Reply

its really true,the outstanding perfomance of our players cost us dearly,teams which tap players when transfer window is closed should be heavily punished .look at what chelsea's signing of big Phil cost portugal at the EURO 2008!!.SUCH TEAMS SHOULD BE RELEGATED!!!