Bothersome: Robin van Perise says Chelsea's
constant bleating leaves a bitter taste
Arsenal
striker Robin van Persie last
night spiced up the title race by branding
Chelsea
a team of moaners who
spend too much time complaining to referees.
Van Persie, whose side are four points ahead of Carlo
Ancelotti’s team in the fight to win the Barclays Premier League,
labelled such behaviour ‘b****y annoying’ and ‘unsporting’.
The Holland forward, 27, who was sent off as Arsenal went out of
the Champions League against Barcelona earlier this month, also
laid into the Spanish champions for excessive moaning.
As he prepared for Holland’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Hungary on
Friday night, Van Persie said: ‘Barcelona's players have the habit
of whingeing about every- thing, and that is disappointing.
In England, Chelsea’s players behave in the same way.
‘Barca are a great team, but they shouldn’t overdo the moaning
as they become b****y annoying. They dispute every decision, with
five players confronting the referee. I like their style of
play, but find them unsporting as well.
Not guilty! Van Persei protested his innocence when
sent off against Barcelona
‘They behaved like this in their two games against
Arsenal. It was not so clever and rather
unsportsmanlike.’
Despite calling Barca the best team in the world, Van Persie did
give encouragement to the three English teams left in the Champions
League, adding: ‘I rate them more highly than the Spanish national
side, but they can be beaten. I felt in no way inferior to their
players.’