Arsenal Football Club

• Nickname:Gunners
• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

• Ground:Emirates
• Capacity:60432

Wenger refuses to apologise

04 Dec 2009 - 14:49:16

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Arsene Wenger does not regret his decision not to shake Mark Hughes' hand following Arsenal's Carling Cup defeat by Manchester City.

The Frenchman was accused of being a bad loser by his City counterpart following their 3-0 defeat at Eastlands on Tuesday night.

Wenger's hasty retreat down the tunnel has been condemned by several of his Premier League contemporaries but the defiant Gunners boss claims he would do exactly the same again.

"Tomorrow, by coincidence, I am managing my 500th game at Arsenal and I believe I have shaken hands 497 times," he said.

"I believe that it is a ceremonial courtesy. But the most important is not the ceremonial but the courtesy of behaviour.

"I don't deny that I am a bad loser but on this occasion I would have done exactly the same if we had won or lost the game.

"I act in accordance with the principles I think are important on the football pitch and I maintain exactly what I said and did."

When asked about reported provocation from the City coaching staff, he replied: "There are incidents on the touchline, but you never heard me ever say anything about another manager after the game, in a press conference or after during the week.

"I maintain exactly the way I behave and do not regret one second of what I did."