Buzzin Football

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is being hit from all sides in this mornings press. UEFA president Michel Platini has taken a pop at Wenger in an interview in the Grenoble Daily Dauphine Libere, published today.

In a frank interview Platini has accused Wenger of having a ‘business mentality’ rather than a football one. And he also tore into the Gunners boss for calling for the introduction of video replays to rule on questionable refereeing decisions.

On the first point I seem to recall the gross Platini demanding that English Clubs should be ruled out of the Champions League if thier businesses were in the red, in that instance smuggly pointing to the accounts of the competition winners Manchester United.

So it appears ok on the one hand to show a business like approach, but obviously somewhere along the line Wenger has got under his fellow countryman’s skin.

Already irked by the mention of Wenger’s name, Platini’s response to the being asked his thoughts about the Champions League feat of Romanian side CFR Cluj’s in beating Italian giant Roma last week, he replied:

“That is what makes football so great, It is what people like Wenger do not want, little clubs beating the big clubs, because they want their business.”

Wenger is said to be ’stunned’ by Platini’s outburst, but will be equally as embarrassed by the English press who came across a confidential letter abandoned by members of the Arsenal team at their hotel this weekend, in which the manager preaches the importance of being a team.

Suggestions that David Brent of The Office would be proud to have written the letter, were a bit unfair. The list has found it’s way into most of the usual sporting back pages.