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西班牙巴塞罗那俱乐部最近毫不掩饰地向英超阿森纳队前锋亨利表示“爱慕”之心，希望这位法国前锋能最终加盟到自己的阵营中。巴萨这种公然表态显然激怒了阿森纳队主教练温格，他称对方的言行是对阿森纳俱乐部的“不敬之举”。
据《卫报》12月23日报道，巴塞罗那俱乐部主席拉波尔塔以及其他一些高官本星期纷纷在公开场合表示，希望能在明年夏天将亨利收归帐下。对此阿森纳队主教练温格认为，巴萨在没有征求阿森纳俱乐部许可的情况下，公然发布要收购阿森纳球员的言论，显然是在向现有规则发起挑战。
“对此我非常担忧，”温格表示：“如果他们（巴萨）希望亨利转会，那么他们所要做的就是和我们沟通，因为毕竟亨利同我们的合约还有一年半的时间。巴萨的举动是不公正的，也是极具侮辱性的，这表明他们对阿森纳俱乐部根本就不尊敬。我并不在乎你是谁，无论你是巴塞罗那俱乐部或其他什么俱乐部，你都要遵守规则。”
据报道，巴萨主席拉波尔塔是在本周举行的一次义赛上谈到签约亨利一事的。面对电视摄像镜头，拉波尔塔当时肯定非常清楚这一言论的分量。而就在上个月，巴萨运动总管贝基里斯坦也对亨利表达了好感，称赞他是能够提升巴萨实力的队员之一。
对于来自西班牙方面的言论，作为阿森纳队主教练的温格显然无法接受。他表示将尽快弄清这些言论的真实性，然后和俱乐部董事会就此讨论并采取对策。温格甚至表示不排除将此事移交国际足联处理的可能。
然而，对于在关公开场合谈论球员转会的举动，现有的欧足联和国际足联的规则并没有任何限制规定。对此温格也很清楚，但法国人依然认为巴塞罗那俱乐部的言行有失体育道德。
目前，效力于英超阿森纳队的亨利同俱乐部的合同将在明年夏天到期，届时他将年满29岁。由于近两个赛季以来阿森纳队成绩开始滑坡，一心希望能在更高水平球队效力的亨利并没有在俱乐部提出的新合同上签字。在做出最后决定之前，亨利显然是在静观事态的发展。
让主教练温格费心的不仅是亨利的续约问题。同穆里尼奥之间发生的种种不快也同样让温格在圣诞节前比较心烦。据报道，在上周日联赛结束后，切尔西队主教练穆里尼奥拒绝同阿森纳队主教练温格握手，其理由是温格赛前并没有对他之前送出的圣诞贺卡做出任何反应。据报道，穆里尼奥在贺卡中特意向温格就此前自己的一些评论表示了歉意。
在回答记者这件事是不是很荒唐时，温格表示对切尔西方面的举动不能理解。“这是有点可笑，”他说：“贺卡这件事人们有点小题大做了。其实什么也没发生。我们收到了这张贺卡，但我们并没有就此大惊小怪，仅此而已。”
温格表示他本来就没有赛前和客队主教练握手的习惯，并称穆里尼奥的道歉是一个积极的信号。
“我并没有无礼的表示，”他说：“有些时候你要集中精力在比赛上，有些时候你才可以和别人交谈。”温格同时表示，虽然在联赛中经历了3连败，但球队并没有太大的问题。“在同博尔顿队比赛时，我们正处在低潮期。”他说：“但在和纽卡斯尔和切尔西队的比赛中，我们奉献了两场高质量的比赛。我们会继续努力，事情一定会有转机的。”
Arsène Wenger has reacted angrily to Barcelona's public pursuit of Thierry Henry and yesterday threatened to report the Spanish champions for their behaviour in trying to lure his captain. The Arsenal manager accused Barcelona of showing a "lack of rspect" for his club with their conduct.
Having dismissed as faintly ridiculous Jose Mourinho falling out with him over a Christmas card, Wenger was belligerent over Barcelona. Senior figures there have made no secret of their desire to capture Henry next summer, with the president Joan Laporta publicly confirming this week that he will try to sign the striker. Wenger said no one from the club had been in touch to discuss a transfer and he is concerned they are carrying out a destabilising campaign against the rules.
Arsène Wenger has reacted angrily to Barcelona's public pursuit of Thierry Henry and yesterday threatened to report the Spanish champions for their behaviour in trying to lure his captain. The Arsenal manager accused Barcelona of showing a "lack of respect" for his club with their conduct.
Having dismissed as faintly ridiculous Jose Mourinho falling out with him over a Christmas card, Wenger was belligerent over Barcelona. Senior figures there have made no secret of their desire to capture Henry next summer, with the president Joan Laporta publicly confirming this week that he will try to sign the striker. Wenger said no one from the club had been in touch to discuss a transfer and he is concerned they are carrying out a destabilising campaign against the rules.
"I'm worried about it," Wenger said. "If they want to sign him all they have to do is call us up because he has 1? years left on his contract. I hope to do something about it because it's unfair and insulting. It shows a lack of respect. I don't care who you are in football, if you are from Barcelona or Doncaster you have to respect the rules."
Encouraged by fans at a charity match this week to sign Henry, Laporta responded: "We will try." With television cameras there, Laporta is likely to have been aware of the significance of such a statement. Last month Barcelona's sporting director Txiki Beguiristain said of Henry: "He is one of the players who would improve the squad here."
Wenger played that down at the time but is deeply unhappy with Laporta. He said he would check whether the attributed comments were genuine and discuss with his board how to proceed. He could take the matter to Fifa.
Its regulations do not refer to public statements about transfer targets but Wenger will feel Barcelona's behaviour is contrary to the game's spirit. Aston Villa were reprimanded by the Premier League over an illegal approach for the then Southampton striker James Beattie, after their manager David O'Leary said "there is a player there who wants to join us".
Henry has delayed talks on a new contract until the summer, seemingly because he wants to assess Arsenal's progress before deciding whether to commit himself at a decisive point of his career. He will be 29 in August.
With concerns over Henry's future and recent results, Wenger preferred not to dwell on the business involving Mourinho. The Chelsea manager refused to shake hands on Sunday because he felt affronted that Wenger ignored him before the game when he had apologised in a card for his "voyeur" comments.
Asked whether the matter was ridiculous, Wenger said: "Yes, a little bit." He said he "couldn't understand their [Chelsea's] reaction" and added: "That this card has been treated like a CIA bomb is surprising. Basically nothing happened. We got this card, we didn't make a fuss."
Wenger said he does not make a habit of talking to managers or shaking hands before a game and that Mourinho's apology was a positive sign he had appreciated. "I didn't want to show any discourtesy," he said. "There are times to focus on your game and there are times when you can talk."
He described the "real worry" as Arsenal not being the best team in the country but denied there is a deep-lying problem despite three straight league defeats. "Our low point was at Bolton," he said. "Against Newcastle and Chelsea things didn't turn our way but we played a great quality game. We just want to keep going and things will turn round."
Henry faces a test on his Achilles before the Boxing Day game at Charlton which Robin van Persie is likely to miss because of a knee injury.
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