Fa Cup Has Meaning For Me, Says Wenger
Sun Herald
Sunday January 6, 2008
ARSENE Wenger said the FA Cup could jeopardise his hopes of winning the Champions League but the Arsenal manager was determined not to disrespect the competition's heritage.
Wenger who takes his team to Championship side Burnley tomorrow, has seen past European campaigns run aground as his squad struggled to cope with the weight of the new year fixture list. The Frenchman has previously suggested the abolition of FA Cup rematches in order to ease the burden on clubs involved in Champions League and UEFA cup runs - comments which led to Wenger being accused of treating the world's oldest cup competition with contempt. But although Wenger plans to rest several of his first team at Turf Moor, he has reiterated his "love" for the cup he has won four times in his Arsenal career and his desire to enjoy another Wembley success this season. He said: "The FA Cup is certainly in conflict with the Champions League - with the number of replays you have if you don't go through first time and the fact they are always positioned in front of Champions League games, it is difficult. "I am worried about the reaction to not playing my first team - that's why I want the side to be highly focused and win the game. If you don't play the team that people expect you to play and lose, you will be criticised. But then if you play the team people don't expect and you win, you get criticised as well. "But I love the FA Cup and we all have a common desire to do well in every competition we play in."Wenger is set to play Jens Lehmann at Turf Moor, with speculation mounting that the German is on the verge of leaving the Emirates Stadium. The Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund are poised to sign the veteran keeper on a free transfer.
© 2008 Sun Herald
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