Dein backs Owen claim
05 Oct 2006 - 16:44:30
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has backed Newcastle United's bid to claim compensation from the Football Association for Michael Owen's knee injury.
The Magpies want the FA to pay Owen's salary and medical bills during what is likely to be a season-long absence after he ruptured his cruciate ligament playing for England at the World Cup.
The FA is only willing to finance 50 per cent of Owen's wages and Newcastle officials are believed to be planning legal action.
Dein has offered his support to Newcastle after being elected chairman of the G14 group of elite European clubs, who have repeatedly clashed with UEFA and FIFA over the issue of compensation for players injured on international duty.
He told Newcastle's official website: "We have got the Michael Owen issue where he has been injured in the World Cup and could be out for a whole year.
"In our case, we had Philippe Senderos injured in the World Cup and we haven't seen him play for Arsenal this season and we are already in October.
"The G14 will back Newcastle and support them and I hope they would support Arsenal if we decided to do something over Senderos. Why shouldn't we?
"In what other industry would you allow your employees to go to someone else and then be off for a length of time because effectively they were on secondment to someone else?"
Newcastle is not a member of the G14 group.