NYON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been handed a two-match touchline ban by UEFA after being found guilty of ignoring rules on communicating with his bench during last week’s Champions League clash against Udinese.
Wenger has paid the price for flouting UEFA’s guidelines over speaking to assistants while serving a suspension and will now be forced to watch from the stands when the Gunners face Udinese in the decisive second leg of their play-off tie in Italy on Wednesday.
Wenger had been forced to watch the first leg from the Emirates Stadium stands as he served a one-match touchline ban for abusing Swiss referee Massimo Busacca in the aftermath of last season’s stormy Champions League defeat at Barcelona.
However, the Frenchman believed he was still free to communicate with assistant Pat Rice by passing messages to first-team coach Boro Primorac, who was seated next to the Gunners chief and then phoned the information down to the bench.
The trio did exactly that throughout the first half but television pictures showed the rather blatant nature of the plan and UEFA, keen not to be embarrassed, warned Wenger at the break that he was contravening the rules and he withdrew from communication.
UEFA decided that Wenger deserved further punishment for his actions and hit him with a fine that would extend to the opening match of the Champs League or Europa League group stages, depending which the Gunners end up in.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, with 13 consecutive Champions League appearances, and Olympique Lyon, with 11, are in danger of ending their long presence as they face difficult qualifying ties this week.
Arsenal will take a slender 1-0 lead to Udinese for Wednesday’s match which could not have come at a worse time for Gunners and the absence of Wenger is a significant blow to their hopes of making the lucrative group stages of Europe’s elite club competition.
Hit by injuries and the departure of midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal have taken only one point out of six in the EPL but their poor domestic start would be nothing compared to missing out on the Champions League for the first time since 1997/98. (Agencies)