Wenger vows to stay with Gunners despite Dein exit

AFP

London / Arsene Wenger has insisted that he remains committed to Arsenal, despite voicing his regret at the departure of David Dein, the ousted former vice-chairman who brought him to north London.

Dein ended his 24-year association with the club on Wednesday in a development widely linked to boardroom divisions over how to respond to takeover overtures from American tycoon Stan Kroenke.

The departure of Dein left Wenger's future in doubt, particularly as the Frenchman is only under contract with the club until the end of next season.

But after an emergency board meeting on Thursday, Wenger indicated that he continued to see his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium, despite his disappointment at seeing his close friend Dein leave.

''It is a sad day for Arsenal Football Club,'' Wenger told the club's website. ''It is a huge disappointment because we worked very closely together. David has contributed highly to the success of the Club in the last 10 years and even before that as well. Red and white are the colours of his heart.''

Crucially however, Wenger stressed that his own position would not change as a result of the latest developments.

''My position is that I am linked with the club very strongly,'' he said. ''The relationship with the rest (of the Board) has always been very good and we try always to have a good understanding.''

Wenger's comments came after Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood assured the manager and the supporters that the club wants him to stay in charge beyond 2008.

''I think it's well known that Arsene and David have got on very well over the past 10 years and I am certain that Arsene will miss him,'' Hill-Wood said.

''However I believe the relationship that Arsene has with the rest of the board is good.

''He is on contract with us until 2008 and we very much hope that he will extend his contract beyond that, but we haven't got into talking details on that yet.''

Dein left over what were termed as ''irreconcilable differences'' involving the way the club was run.

Those differences are understood to be over the direction and ownership of the club, with Dein known to be very much in favour of the involvement of Kroenke.

Dein's departure has sparked speculation that he was ready to sell his 14% stake in the club to Kroenke, who has already acquired 11% of the tightly-controlled Arsenal shares.

If that was to happen, Kroenke, the owner of Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, basketball team Denver Nuggets and ice hockey side Colorado Avalanche, would become the biggest shareholder in the Gunners, currently valued at 420m (US$846m).

But he would remain short of the 30% required to trigger an automatic takeover bid under UK corporate law and the remaining board members, who together account for just over 45% of the shares, have agreed to hang on to their stakes for at least the next year.

Analysts suggested that the stance of the board, led by chairman Peter Hill-Wood, made a takeover unlikely in the short term. But there is certainly scope for a destabilising power struggle.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Saturday April 21, 2007