ANDREY ARSHAVIN has admitted he continues to dream of playing for Barcelona, saying that to do so for just one season “would be the pinnacle of my career”.
The Russia forward, who came close to joining Barcelona from Zenit St Petersburg two years ago only to be priced out of the move, was a frustrated onlooker when Arsenal played at the Camp Nou in the Champions League quarter-final this month when, inspired by Lionel Messi, Barca won 4-1 to set up the semi-final against Inter Milan.
“If I played just a year in Barcelona, it would be the pinnacle of my career,” Arshavin said. “Barca are the best team in the world and I enjoy their style of play so much. But after watching them against Arsenal, the enjoyment has quickly turned into sorrow. Barca, it seems to me, are now so far ahead of any other club.”
Arsenal know that the Catalan club already covet two of their key players, the captain, Cesc Fabregas, and the full-back Gael Clichy, but Arsene Wenger, the manager, has come to view Arshavin’s pronouncements in the Russian media with a degree of amusement.
He has suggested that they can lose something in translation. At the same time, though, Wenger has been forced to accept that Arshavin has a maverick streak and the 28-year-old cannot be told to toe any party line.
“I always look at where the comments come from,” said Wenger earlier this month. “If it comes from Russia, I always take it with a distance. Andrey speaks his mind but he is not a negative person.”
Barcelona lost the first leg of their semi-final with Inter 3-1 and Arshavin put the result down to the tactical acumen of the Inter coach, Jose Mourinho.
“Mourinho is magic,” he said. “When the coach is a genius, he can beat any other team, even those who are stronger. I believe there are three ideal coaches for Russia – (Fabio) Capello, Mourinho and (Guus) Hiddink. Wenger is also a good coach but the Russian team is better suited to the other three.
“I can’t imagine Wenger outside of Arsenal. I think it’s impossible. He is more than a coach. He works not only with the team but also shapes the club. He’s not only responsible for what happens on the pitch on Saturdays and Wednesdays, but for everything else – how the club works, who they buy, virtually what sponsorship contracts are signed and where to go for pre-season training. He conducts everything.”
