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The One-Man Crusade Against Arsenal

By on November 3, 2009

Yup, you guessed it… Michel Platini, better known as the Antichrist, is once again in the media criticizing Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. It is truly amazing how Platini has turned into a one-man crusade against Arsenal and his fellow countryman. We here at Arsenal Station have not long forgotten his psychologically-disturbed rant last season during which he exhibited the full extent of his obsession and disgust with Arsene Wenger. We hope you have not forgot as well.

Frustrated that UEFA’s new rules regarding club solvency won’t adversely affect Arsenal, but, quite the opposite, will actually help the club, Platini has taken advantage of last month’s furor over “child trafficking” in football by now seeking to keep Arsenal, and other clubs, from buying youth players from outside their own country.

You have talent in England – it’s up to you not to buy always the best 13-14 young players in Europe. I am not in favour of the Arsenal system. The more English youth players you have in your team, the better it is for your football and popularity of your game.

Perhaps, in the future with Fifa rules on the transfer of minors, you have to work with English youth. Why can’t the English play for Arsenal? They have to come to France to play. It’s about identity.

Arsene WengerMake no mistake about it. With Platini, it is about his personal vendetta against Arsenal and Arsene, not identity. And it is certainly not about his so-called “passion for English clubs.” So much so, that he has the urge to redirect any conversation into a criticism of Arsenal.

The above interview with the Telegraph had to do with the new financial rules, but once Platini realized that his criticisms did not apply to Arsenal, he then turned the subject to youth player recruitment so as to be able to “indict” Arsenal for something.

The most disturbing part of this whole farcical situation is Platini’s almost laughable ignorance of almost everything he talks about. This is a man who, when asked whether or not he should talk to Richard Scudamore, said, “No. Why should I?” Hello? Perhaps because he’s the chairman of the Premier League. He believes the entire game depends on his “better philosophy,” but I have news for Mr. Platini… You are no philosopher, sir.

Behold the ignorance of the man:

The more English youth players you have in your team, the better it is for your football and popularity of your game.

That statement is ass-backwards. The Premier League’s quality and popularity has increased astronomically since increasing the number of foreigners in the last 10 years. It may have gone too far but the English players, and their agents, are responsible for pricing themselves out of the reach of most clubs. Platini wants English clubs to sign overpriced English players and also wants them to stay out of debt, but, with the ridiculously inflated valuations of mediocre average players (yes, you, Joleon), you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

More ignorance:

Perhaps, in the future with Fifa rules on the transfer of minors, you have to work with English youth. Why can’t the English play for Arsenal? They have to come to France to play. It’s about identity. Manchester United have to develop players of that region.

Platini obviously has no idea what is going on at Arsenal otherwise he’d know that Arsenal are producing the best crop of English youth players in the country. His ignorance is staggering considering the position he holds in European football.

Even more ignorance:

It’s getting worse for England. We have to protect national teams so that at least England play with 11 English players because there could soon be places for those with residential qualifications.

Apparently, he has no problem with Brazilians playing for half of the world’s national teams. Even more hypocritical, he has not problem with Barcelona raiding South American clubs for players even younger than any Arsenal have ever signed from abroad. Lionel Messi was plucked from Newell’s Old Boys and transplanted halfway across the world when he was 13, for fuck’s sake!

In relation to the Spanish clubs, whom Platini is REALLY trying to protect, Arsenal are already at a disadvantage because of domestic rules. The club is not allowed to sign youth players that live more than 90 minutes from the club. We are also not allowed to sign youth players directly from South America or non-EU European countries.

Both of these domestic rules are crippling and will prove even more so should Platini have his way. He is so quick to criticize Arsenal for having bought Fabregas from Barcelona, yet he has nothing to say about Barcelona hovering like wolves over Benik Afobe and Chukwuemeka Aneke.

The small area from which Arsenal are allowed to sign youth players around London is ridiculously small. How many possible world-class players are living within 50 miles of north London? Yet, Platini is determined to have Arsenal, and other English clubs’, recruiting possibilities hemmed in, while Barcelona and the rest of the Spanish and Italian clubs have the rule of the roost from South America, Africa, and Europe.

That is patently unfair… just the way Platini likes it.

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