Arsene Wenger has claimed that William Gallas was
the subject of a "witch hunt" having axed the Frenchman as Arsenal
captain last week.
Gallas was stripped of the armband on Friday in the wake of his
outspoken attack - made to French journalists ahead of the
publication of his autobiography - against his team-mates at the
Emirates.
Speaking after the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in which Cesc
Fabregas captained the Gunners for the first time, Wenger paid
tribute to Gallas after his return to the starting line-up and
blamed outside influences for his demise.
"It was based neither on the man himself nor his quality as a
player but more on his blunder," Wenger reportedly told French
television station Canal+, for whom he works on a part-time basis
as a pundit.
"It was a witch-hunt and everything that he did, even when it
was good, was bad.
"In these conditions, the player had no chance. He didn't intend
to be malicious but it put his team under enormous pressure. He
will remain himself and it can free him as a player if there is
less pressure."
According to Wenger, Gallas proved his commitment to the Arsenal
cause in Tuesday night's win that guarantees the Gunners a place in
the next round.
He said: "You could see that he was completely committed at the
back and it was not an easy performance for the defence. Overall I
feel he did well.
"The crowd responded very well and that means that they
acknowledge that he was a committed captain. I was very happy that
the crowd responded in a positive way to him."
