Robert Pires holds no grudges over final substitution
Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires has said he does not blame Arsene Wenger for replacing him in his last appearance for the club.
Pires spent six seasons with the London club between 2000 and 2006, scoring 62 goals in 189 league appearances.
His last game for Arsenal came shortly after the team played their last fixture at Highbury, in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona.
Pires started the game for Wenger's team, but was replaced after only 18 minutes when Jens Lehmann was sent off for a tackle on Samuel Eto'o.
Despite the obvious disappointment, Pires said he does not blame Wenger for making the decision to replace him upon returning to the Arsenal training ground this week.
"I have to admit that at the time it was difficult [to be replaced] because it’s the final and you obviously want to play," the 36-year-old said. "But, I couldn’t forget the six magnificent years playing for [Wenger] at Arsenal. Managers are paid to make
those sorts of decisions and as a player you have to respect them."
Arsenal went on to lose the final 2–1 after going ahead courtesy of Sol Campbell's header. Having retired from Villareal, Pires said the final defeat four years ago was "the only real disappointment" of his footballing career.
Celebrated by the Arsenal fans
In April 2009, Villareal faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals Champions League, and the French midfielder received a warm welcoming from the Arsenal fans, who voted him the club's sixth greatest player of all time in 2008.
"I know I played well for Arsenal but I honestly didn’t expect a reception like that. I was nearly in tears at the end of the game because the supporters chanted my name before, during and after the match. The reason I was so happy was because it showed
the supporters appreciated what I’ve done on the pitch."
Tags: