Wenger: Football is suffering

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that ‘football suffers’ from big spending clubs

Posted: 1 August 2012 Time: 11:22 am

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that ‘football suffers’ when clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain boast ‘unlimited resources’ to spend on players.

The Gunners have often made a net profit in the transfer market in recent seasons – in contrast to some of their big-spending rivals – but have not won a major trophy since 2005, despite consistently holding on to their place in the top four of the Premier League.

PSG are the latest example of a club enjoying new mega-rich owners, having splashed around £75-million in total on stars Ezequiel Lavezzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva this summer.

"We consider ourselves in a privileged position because we have a massive income," Wenger is quoted as saying by The Sun. "But overall we are not mega-rich because we do not have unlimited resources.

"A club can buy players like PSG has done or Manchester City or Chelsea, with unlimited resources, but overall football suffers.

"Look at the activity on the transfer market since the start of the summer. PSG are ambitious and they have resources and that's it. We talk always about the same things. I don't think anything is new in that domain."

Wenger also criticised the lack of awareness of the financial crisis in Europe among football clubs and warned that the game was not immune to its effects.

"Europe at the moment is like the Titanic, but we live in football like nothing matters," he bemoaned. "More than ever we have to run our club in a strict way because it looks like everybody suffers in Europe. I would be surprised if football is not touched by it at some stage.

"If you look at debt in football across Europe at the moment it is quite massive and we have to be responsible. We have to be ambitious but also make sure we are not getting in trouble financially.

"It is difficult for us because the wages in some other clubs are very high. But of course our players quite rightly compare themselves to the players of the other clubs."

When asked if Chelsea's victory in the Champions League could change anything in England, Wenger was doubtful and suggested that a club's league position was more indicative of their true quality.

"I don't see what it could change," he added. "Maybe it will wake up the appetite of [Chelsea owner Roman] Abramovich again. I'm proud when any Premier League club wins the Champions League.

"It shows how competitive the Premier League is because Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League and that is the real quality of a team. More than the Champions League it is about where you finish in the league. That just shows how good the Premier League is."

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Phantom of Orlando
posted: 11:32 am
Who cares about what happens in Europe we have our own bigger fish to fry eMzansi, please Mr Editor lets stay focused on real issues.
Champ-Marapo
posted: 11:36 am
100% agree

Look at my team L'Pool, we used to be very very competitive in Europe when money was still used wisely and football respected.

Football is not supermarket
Pinto
posted: 12:14 pm
@champ, losefools only mistake was firing Benetez who achieved a lot for someone with limited resouces. Imagine if he was still there now with the money you spnding on useless players, like adams, downing, carroll. ect.
@Bongz
posted: 12:35 pm
This guy is just a loser, when was the last time he won a cup this season he won't make even top 5......always buying average players from france his home country.
Percinator
posted: 12:52 pm
were is de money dey bought all ur quality players with, u r stingy boss so shup up
Dooba (Glory Reclaimed)
posted: 01:09 pm
Phantom of Orlando: the name global does not seem to have a meaning in your vocab boz, everything has to do with everything, see the bigger picture- if EU leagues suffer financially, who will recruit players from SA since the goal of quality is associated with EU? Not to mention that SA footballers fair low when comapred to their global peers in terms of potential to be absorbed by geater quality leagues in EU... think broadly skeem!
Cowza Chips
posted: 01:21 pm
Phantom your and idiot .end of story
Pirates is not 1 skipper team, you must show for the Zulu Ass
posted: 02:26 pm
150% correct, look at Mamasipa Dunusa aka Skhothane's they have nine strikers they don't need. Pure foolishness and stupidity. They were looking at Rantie to be the tenth striker until he refused for obvious reasons.
black and white
posted: 07:42 pm
Stop moaning Wenger and go into the transfer market and buy us some players......real world class players
cyril.nwokeji@wol.be
posted: 08:19 pm
Arsene na money dey talk.
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