I know that there are Arsenal fans all over the world and those from countries other than the UK may not have the same feeling about this as we Brits do, but there is a sense that we do not get a fair crack of the whip from UEFA or FIFA at either club or international level.
Whether it be our attempts to host a tournament and it going somewhere crazy like Qatar despite all their problems and our brilliant infrastructure, or other aspects of the game, I get the sense that they do not like us. And on the pitch I have though for years that Arsenal and the other British clubs are constantly getting a raw deal from the officials.
Just this week we were denied a clear penalty that may just have helped the Gunners to the record breaking comeback that Barcelona managed, with a little help from the referee who gave them two penalties that were softer than the one on Walcott.
We have seen harsh sendings off, a la RVP against Barca and that daft one for the Man United winger Nani against real Madrid. Just this week UEFA showed some real disdain for United and their complaints about the awful state of the pitch for their Europa League tie in Russia. One official apparently suggested that because the players were insured it did not matter if they picked up an injury.
Am I being paranoid here or does the Barcelona game and the UEFA reaction to United’s complaints prove that Arsenal and the other EPL clubs are not treated fairly in Europe?
Bob.