By Ian Grant
PLAYERS
On Dennis Bergkamp’s omission from the Lyon game, Arsene Wenger said: “The train flies. He prefers to travel by car.” He added: “It’s not the best way to prepare, to have 10 hours on the road,” no doubt referring to the Chelsea game.
Robert Pires admits he is still terrified of English football: “The Premiership still frightens me to death. It’s got a bit better but only because I have learned how to jump over tackles.”
Ray Parlour has made the paages of Debrett’s People of Today.
The Mirror claims that Sylvain Wiltord has rocked the Gunners by admitting his dream is to play back home in France – alongside Nicolas Anelka.: “I would love to team up with Nicolas Anelka at PSG – that would give me real pleasure. I have only just come over from France, so maybe in two or three years’ time.”
Arsenal midfielder Gilles Grimandi has slammed the French tax system:”The thing about French football is that the clubs have a lot of tax to pay for their players. That’s why so many French players are leaving the country to play abroad. I guess it’s quite difficult for the French football fan that pretty much the whole French national squad don’t play in France. But until the French government changes their rule on tax it will always be like that – the best French players will move abroad.”
WENGER
According to the Birmingham Post, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could be ready to start meaningful discussions to extend his Arsenal contract this week. – but, equally, depending on high-level talks on football’s transfer system in Europe, he may give the club 14 months notice of quitting.
Wenger said: “It would be pointless for me to continue if players are given the right to walk out on their contracts with just three months notice. I could not do my job under those circumstances and I believe many managers will feel the same about their own jobs.”
TRANSFERS
Wenger insists he has made no decision over £6million German defender Marko Rehmer, despite details of a £1.5 million-a-year deal being leaked to the German press (Berlin daily BZ). Hertha Berlin’s centre-half is convinced he has agreed the four-year contract to become Tony Adams’ successor.
Hertha’s commercial manager Dieter Hoeness has been trying to persuade the 28-year-old Rehmer to extend his contract with the German first division club, which runs until June next year. Juventus and Bayern Munich have also approached Rehmer, who
said he would not announce his final decision until March 14.
The People says that Emmanuel Petit could be on his way back to London from Barcelona – to Craven Cottage if Fulham, as expected, begin next season in the Premiership. It is said the offer is £35,000 a week.
OLD BOYS
Ex-Arsenal player, and current Canal+ commentator, Remi Garde, who has played for and skippered both clubs, has warned Arsenal that Brazilian striker Sonny Anderson is the danger man over the two matches against Lyon.
EUROPE
Olympique Lyon went into the Arsenal game with the following yellow cards: Eric Deflandre (2), Vikash Dhorasoo (2), Edmilson (1), Marc-Vivien Foe (1), Florent Laville (2), David Linares (1), Steve Marlet (2), Patrick Muller (1), Jeremie Brechet (1). Arsenal have no players starting on two yellows.
MISCELLANEOUS
The latest attempt to unify football’s position on a new transfer system ended in disharmony last week when players’ representatives stormed out of a meeting of the game’s governing bodies in Zurich, claiming their interests were not being given proper consideration.
According to Philippe Piat of Fifpro, the international players’ union, Fifa and Uefa – the game’s world and European governing bodies – want players to honour their contracts, regardless of length, while allowing clubs to sell players at any time.
A word from some Arsenal supporters to football-mad ONdigital, re their front page ads in the sports sections of some national newspapers this week. Lauren is an Arsenal player, Laurent was a fashion designer.
According to the FT, Arsenal has become the first British football club to launch a Chinese-language website. Nearly 10 per cent of users of its English site are from east Asia.