Wenger puzzled by Uefa rules

by Setanta Staff , 18 August 2011

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit out at the lack of clarity in Uefa's rules.


Wenger is still waiting to learn whether he will be charged for his actions while serving a one-match touchline ban during Tuesday night's Champions League play-off round first leg with Udinese.

The Gunners boss was caught passing messages to his team via a third party at the Emirates Stadium, before being warned not to at half-time.

Wenger claimed that Uefa had told him he was permitted to relay instructions to assistant manager Pat Rice through first-team coach Boro Primorac, who was in telephone contact with the Arsenal bench.

But European football's governing body denied giving Wenger the green light and have been studying the report from their match officials.

Any sanction would be likely to be a fine rather than another ban but that would not go down well with Wenger, who insists that he did everything he could to respect Uefa's rules.

"It was very difficult because you don't know really what the rules are," he told Arsenal Player. "They told us first that, through my assistant, he can communicate. And after half-time, it was not like that."

He added: "It is a real concern because up to what level can you stop somebody doing his job? We tried to respect the rules and the rules are set by Uefa. But, of course, it is very difficult to see where you can stop a person having an influence. You cannot go to the dressing room - that's how I understand it and I didn't do it."

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