Roma in February; Bracewell-Smith hits out
36 comments December 19th, 2008
Arsenal will face AS Roma in February, with the first leg to be played at the Emirates Stadium before an exciting trip to the Stadio Olimpico. Those games take place on the same nights as Manchester United’s blockbuster clash with Inter Milan, so you do sort of wonder if the press will even remember to report on them.
It has to be considered a good draw as Danny Fiszman, present at the draw in Nyon, points out:
“We have a good record against Roma, Thierry (Henry) scored a hat-trick there some six/seven years ago, so we are pleased with the draw.
It’s the old cliché ‘there are no easy games’ and it isn’t an easy game, but you have to look beyond how strong or weak the team is – they’re all strong – and we looking purely at logistics.”
Roma are extremely motivated in the Champions League this season because the final takes place in their very city. Hopefully it will be us who return to Rome in May as well as February.
Fiszman was also keen to point out that funds will be available for Arsene Wenger in January:
“There are some funds available if he wishes to spend but, as always, the decision is his.”
Whilst that’s good, all is clearly not well at board level. After being forcibly removed from the board, Lady Nina-Bracwell Smith has hit out:
“I’m in total shock and very upset about the appalling way I have been treated. The board have no manners whatsoever and my views were ignored on many occasions.
I can’t understand why I have been removed in such a ruthless fashion. I had no intention of selling my shares and was no threat to the lockdown agreement between the directors. I have also had no proper explanation as to why they wanted me out so much.
It is very difficult to accept, especially after what my family has done for Arsenal for so many years. I am extremely upset at what’s happened and the way it has been done.  I’ve never had a thought of selling my Arsenal shares and I still don’t.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Chairman and the board saw things very differently. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the truth lies somewhere between two such accounts. Quite honestly, at this stage I still know very little about this situation, but I can only say that I don’t think the board would run the risk of losing Bracewell-Smith unless they were very confident about their ability to safe-guard the club against the threat of takeover.
More tomorrow.
