Wenger: Alexis Sanchez's Missed Drug Test Was Arsenal's Fault
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that responsibility for Alexis Sanchez' missed drug test this week lies with the Gunners after an administrative error, but insists there is nothing to hide.
Sanchez was randomly selected for testing on Monday. But when doping officials turned up at Arsenal's training ground, the player, who was in the process of completing his transfer to Manchester United that day, was not present.
Under FA regulations it is the responsibility of the club to keep drug testers up to date of player whereabouts so that individuals can always be located - it was poorly maintained 'whereabouts' records that led to Manchester City being fined £35,000 last season.
It seems that an oversight from Arsenal staff resulted in doping officials not being warned that Sanchez would not be where his 'whereabouts' documentation said he would be.
"Honestly, on the administration side certainly it would still be our responsibility because on the day he had not moved, so maybe it will be down to us. I don't know what happened but usually we try our best to get our players available," Wenger is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"It's a special event for him to miss a drugs test because he will certainly be somewhere else with his agent. He has been tested so many times here it is no worry he has any doping problem, just a bad day for him to be tested," the Frenchman continued.
"I'm quite relaxed because we have nothing to hide here and we always try to do our best to cooperate with doping control. The most important is that the intention is right. The intention of Alexis was not to hide, neither was ours. We have nothing to hide."
On the defensive, Wenger also spoke about Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino after a war of words between the two threatened to bubble up this week.
Wenger was interpreted by some as taking a 'dig' at Spurs after the Gunners reached the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday when he suggested that some other teams seem to be more 'celebrated', despite not being able to match Arsenal's recent trophy record.
That prompted Pochettino to hit back with, "I think he needs to talk for himself and Arsenal", but Wenger now insists he meant nothing by what he said and wasn't referring to anyone specific.
"I just complained that we are always in the hot spot," he said.
"I didn’t speak about Tottenham at all. It was a general example. [Pochettino] has been misled. He said I have to focus on Arsenal and he is right. I have no problem with him or anybody else."
