Arsene Wenger has refuted allegations that English is not the
common language in the Arsenal dressing room.
Ashley Coles wife Cheryl Tweedy said her husband left Arsenal as
English was no longer the native tongue in the dressing room,
claiming he felt like an outsider.
Wenger has just two Englishmen, Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte, in
his first-team squad but he has refuted suggestions that English
is not the common language.
"The common language is English but you cannot stop six or seven
players speaking French if they are French - sometimes
detrimentally to a player who is English," said Wenger.
"But I cannot stop that as I have not found any player who can
express themselves better in any language but English if it is not
their own. It is difficult to fight against that.
"We pay the teachers (when players arrive at the club). If I speak
to the group it is in English."
And Wenger says he has sympathy for players who struggle to speak
the language within a dressing room, having experienced a similar
problem when in Japan with Grampus Eight.
"Don't forget I was in Japan where I understood nothing," said
Wenger. "You sit there, and I know what it is not to understand
what people speak about. It is good not to be paranoid!"
last sentence.... 
