Arsene Wenger has refused to back
down in his feud with the Football Association over Emmanuel
Adebayor's suspension.
Adebayor was sent off during the Carling Cup final last Sunday
after getting involved in the mass brawl, but Wenger argued the
match officials had lied about his striker punching Frank
Lampard.
The FA rejected Adebayor's appeal and asked Wenger to explain his
accusations, but the Arsenal manager is adamant he will not accept
the way his club have been treated.
Wenger has also claimed that Arsenal are treated more harshly than
any other Premiership club.
He told Sky Sports News: "I said that the referee and the linesman
made a big mistake and that I am capable of proving it, that
Adebayor did not punch Lampard, that Adebayor did not intend to
punch Lampard, and we can prove it.
"It is regrettable that the incident punishes the club and I think
this club deserves more respect. To be treated like that is
inaccurate and not deserved.
"We are a club guided by the desire to win and the vision to play
the football we love, and we love to be fair, but to be treated
like we have in this case is not acceptable.
"Arsenal is a well loved club and I have had many calls from people
abroad who absolutely cannot believe what has happened.
"We are the team who has committed the least fouls in the league,
but we are the team that is most punished. Every five fouls we get
a yellow card, and nobody else does that.
"We are entitled to get the same treatment as everyone else and I
will stick to that."
Asked to clarify whether he thought the linesman had made a mistake
or was deliberately lying, Wenger insisted it did not really
matter.
"It was a big mistake, you can call that like you want, but we have
been punished for something that is not the truth and we do not
accept that," he said.
"I do not accept that the club is treated like that and I will
defend that in front of the FA.
"The way they have treated this case is light, and not
responsible."
Wenger also reiterated his opinion that the FA needs to review some
of its policies.
He said: "I think the whole system is not fair and not honest, and
the way it works is wrong. I will explain that to the FA.
"There's no bad intention inside the FA to do desperately the wrong
things, but I believe it is not right.
"It is something that is amazing in England. You can kick people
off the park deliberately, nobody is shocked, but you push somebody
and the whole country is shocked.
"Why? Because it makes headlines.
"I maintain what I say. We have overreacted against Chelsea and I
apologise for that, it is not how we want to behave, but all the
rest that has happened after is unfair to the club and I maintain
that."
