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Arsenal

 

Arsenal have lodged a compliant with Uefa after a Besiktas fan threw a bottle at Arsene Wenger at the end of the Champions League play-offs first leg match at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Turkish clubs fans have a history of displaying uncouth behaviours in the past, something that has led several English clubs to issue warning when their fans travel to Istanbul for any match

Arsene Wenger said of the bottle throwing incidence:

“As I left the pitch a bottle or something was thrown at me. I reported the incident to Uefa.”

The incident was part of a disappointing goalless draw in Istanbul where Arsene Wenger criticised the referee for his overall performance as well as the sending off of Aaron Ramsey for shirt pulling on Necip Uysal and Oguzhan Ozyakup.

A decision the Frenchman described as soft when considered that Demba Ba was not booked for the tackle that injured Mikel Arteta.

It is not yet clear what action Uefa will take in respect of the object thrown by the Besiktas fan(s).

In the past Uefa have imposed fines on the home team, and in some severe cases they gave gone as far as closing a part of the stadium.

However, since the match was not played at Besiktas home ground, but in another stadium, it is likely that the Turkish club would get away with just a fine or a warning.

The object thrown at Arsene Wenger was part of the many incidents in the match; another was the sending off of Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic by the referee for repeated complaining.

He was not happy by the tackle of Mathieu Flamini few minute to the end of the match.

The Croatian said after the match:

“It was a big game for us, right, and I just wasn’t happy with some of the decisions,”

“He just showed me the way off. After the game I apologized to him and to Mr. Wenger. I made a mistake. Maybe I overreacted in that situation when he stopped the game when the ball hit Flamini in the stomach and we were in a good position, two against one. But nothing serious happened in that moment or after the game.”

On whether Uefa would suspend him for the second leg, he said:

“It’s not my call. But I’m not used to this kind of situation. I had 60 or 70 games in charge of Croatia, but I think this is only the second time I’ve been asked out of the dug-out. I don’t know the rules. But I see no reason for me not to be in the dug-out in London.”

However, his pleas that Uefa allow him in the dug out eventually fell on deaf ears, as the governing body has confirmed that he would not be in the technical area in the second leg of the match on Wednesday 27 August at the Emirates.

 

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