SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Wenger rejects 'completely false' reports of Sanchez bust-up

LONDON (Reuters) - Reports of a training ground bust-up between Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez and his Arsenal team mates are "completely false", manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.

Wenger rejects 'completely false' reports of Sanchez bust-up
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

"I’m not aware. Nothing happened. Nothing at all," the Frenchman told reporters ahead of Arsenal's Champions League last 16 second-leg match against Bayern Munich at the Emirates on Tuesday.

"(The media reports are) completely false. But I understand that you have to fill the newspapers and we respect that," added Wenger.

Reports in Monday's papers said Sanchez was dropped from the starting line-up for Saturday's 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool after the 28-year-old allegedly rowed with the manager and team mates.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Wenger brought on the Chilean at halftime with Arsenal, who are now out of the top four in the Premier League, 2-0 down at Anfield.

"I explained after the game at Liverpool that I decided to go for a more direct option in the game and that's what happened. That was the unique reason for my decision," said Wenger of his tactics.

"For the rest, his attitude...He is a committed player, sometimes with excessive behaviour, but you have seen that many times in history in every squad."

Responding to questions about Sanchez's future at Arsenal, with mounting speculation that the player could leave at the end of the season in a big-money transfer, Wenger said it would be the club that decided.

"Alexis Sanchez has 15 months on his contract so the decision will depend completely on Arsenal football club, not anyone else," he said, describing his relationship with the forward as "honest and normal like with every player".

The manager added that the most important thing was to perform as a team.

"Players at that level are proven but football is not about one player, it's much bigger than that," he said.

Sanchez, Arsenal's top scorer with 17 league goals this season, trained with the rest of the players at London Colney on Monday and was photographed shaking Wenger's hand.

Arsenal were trounced 5-1 by Bayern in the away leg and will have to produce the biggest second-leg comeback in a Champions League knockout tie to avoid a seventh successive exit at the last-16 stage.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world