Arsene Wenger denies Paul Merson medical treatment claims

Jim van Wijk,Pa
Friday 13 May 2011 15:06 BST
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Wenger says he cannot take the claims seriously
Wenger says he cannot take the claims seriously

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed suggestions by former midfielder Paul Merson there was anything untoward in the club's medical treatment.

Merson, 43, claimed players were injected with a "yellowy product" and that Wenger himself had handed out "a dark tablet", which was super-strength caffeine.

Wenger said: "I cannot take that comment seriously.

"I don't know how many players have played here over 15 years, 200 maybe; some of them stayed for 10 years. Paul Merson stayed with me for four months, so I think it is better you ask people who have played for five, six, seven, eight, nine years here how we behave medically."

Wenger added: "I personally give them nothing. If they don't want to take anything, they take nothing.

"If you find one player who I asked to take something, bring him here in front of me. If we give them something, it is multivitamins, magnesium, calcium or vitamin C like everybody else.

"Every year we have at least 20 doping controls. In 15 years we have not had one positive control. You think, really, I try to dope?

"If you find one player who I asked to take an injection to play one game, no matter how big the game was, I would resign tomorrow morning.

"It is absolutely ridiculous to put any suspicion on the way we treat the players and respect the players' health."

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