Wenger blasts Spanish clubs over elections

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has hit out at the way Spanish clubs conduct their presidential elections after Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas was once again linked with a move back to boyhood club Barcelona.

Current president Joan Laporta is entering his final year in charge, and has so far failed to convince their former trainee to return to the Nou Camp.

Now, it has emerged Sandro Rosell has targeted the Arsenal midfielder as part of his bid to take control at the club, with reports suggesting a deal could be struck for Fabregas’ transfer next summer.

Wenger, though, has no intention of letting any of his star names leave and slammed all the speculation behind the political wrangling.

“I believe that apart from giving some articles to the newspapers, all the rest is rubbish,” declared the Arsenal manager, whose side play their first home game of the season against Portsmouth today.

“It does not help football and does not help people to focus on their job and is sometimes destabilising.

“The way Spanish clubs are run is more political than sport orientated.

“How much does that harm other clubs? It is difficult to measure, but it does not help other clubs when somebody who has, for example, no chance to be elected next year as president, can announce any name.

“What can you do against him? Nothing. Does that help other clubs? Certainly not.”

Despite all of the harbingers of doom predicating a difficult season ahead for the Gunners, who have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, Wenger’s side have impressed during their two matches so far.

A 6-1 mauling of Everton at Goodison Park was followed up by a 2-0 win away to Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

The Arsenal boss, though, knows all too well there is a long, long way to go.

“I feel we have started well and we have shown some potential,” he said.

“We are in a marathon here and it just started.”

Wenger added: “(Liverpool manager Rafael) Benitez is right, it is far too early to speak about anything which will happen in this Premier League, because you do not see the first trend until after 10 games.

“We will have had some tough games by then, so that is why now we have our feet on the ground.”

Meanwhile Portsmouth boss Paul Hart is confident of recruiting “one or two” new players before the transfer window closes on September 1.

The struggling south-coast club face a daunting trip to in-form Arsenal today, searching for their first Premier League points of the season.

Pompey have been linked with a move for Lens striker Aruna Dindane in a bid to increase their striking options.

Hart admits the Ivory Coast international is on his wish list, along with Bolton duo Danny Shittu and Gavin McCann. And even though the club’s takeover saga rumbles on, leaving Hart short of cash to spend, the Pompey manager is confident of landing some fresh faces in the next week or so.

He said: “Historically, a lot of the action takes place in the final week during the transfer window.

“We’ve got our targets and hopefully, over the next week or so those targets will be in here.”