Arsene Wenger has expressed his frustration after an old FIFA rule deemed the side’s new record signing, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible to participate in the UEFA Europa league this season.
The rule states that players are ineligible if they have appeared in the same competition for another club or in Aubameyang’s case, if they have played for another club that is currently in the same competition.
The Gabon International can not feature because he played for Borrusia Dortmund in the Champions League before they dropped down to the Europa league where they might meet Arsenal. Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger criticized the rule calling for UEFA to remove the “nonsensical technicality”.
“Unanimously, I believe that all clubs agree now this rule has to disappear in Europe. It doesn’t make sense.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“When you look at the transfer amounts you spend now, that you have to spend £50, 60, 70m in the middle of the season, then that the players cant play doesn’t make any sense.[/perfectpullquote]
“Unanimously everywhere in Europe now, the clubs are against this rule,” he said.
The rule will mean Arsenal will be without both their front strikers as they travel to the chilly Ostersunds. Minus the injury of Alexander Lacazette, they will be with Danny Welbeck leading the attack while new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan can also feature. Meanwhile, Arsenal will have to deal with sub-zero temperatures something Wenger has stubbornly said wont bother them.
“The temperature, at the moment I don’t find too much different from London, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he added.
The side that only came into existence a month after Wenger took over at Arsenal will present a unique challenge to the gunners. Minus the freezing temperatures, Arsenal will have to be ready to play on an artificial4G pitch at the Jamtkraft Arena.
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