ON FRIDAYS, at the training ground, Arsene Wenger talks to the newspapers.
He also talks to TV and radio.
Last Friday, before the Portsmouth game, three radio reporters got nine minutes with him.
Here is a fragment of that conversation.
Arsene, the Football Association fined you ten thousand pounds for your dust-up with Alan Pardew. You called it severe. Is it fair ?
“It’s fair to be punished because I accept it myself that my behaviour was not appropriate to the situation, and that I over-reacted. So once I say I am guilty, I have to accept to be punished. Is it a lot or not a lot ? I don’t know. It’s just a punishment that I have to accept.
What have you learned from that situation?
“Well, what I knew already before. That you should never react to any provocation.”
One of the things to come out of that is that although your fellow managers have a deep respect for you, there seems distance between you and your colleagues. Is that a fair impression ?
“There is quite a distance, yes. Because, first of all, there is a big rotation in the managers, so you have not much time to have a big friendship, and we are in competitive moments always when we see each other, so it’s not always the best way to build up a friendship. And some managers as well have a friendship that has not been created during their career as a manager but they played before against each other, they knew each other before, that’s not the case for me.
“And I feel as well that, on the day of the game, part of the respect for the other manager is to leave him alone when he has lost. Because I like that as well, you know, not to be too intrusive. That’s why. Sometimes I feel it’s fair to keep the right distance.”
You’ve been here ten years, haven’t you? Is there any manager who you’d say, Yes, he’s a friend, who you would ring up, or share a glass of wine with?
“I would share a glass of wine with many, but real friends in this game? Depends on what you would consider friends. People you are happy to meet, yes, they are plenty. But real friends, it’s very difficult. Because that means you share every information you have. You know….there’s a good player at Coventry, maybe you call all your friends and say ‘There’s a good player at Coventry, maybe you should have a look at him.’ It’s impossible.”
Press officer (ending session) : “OK, guys ?”
Radio reporter : “Thanks very much.”
Second radio reporter : “Arsene, who’s the good player at Coventry?”
(laughter)