Arsene Wenger describes Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas as an 'outstanding leader' following Denilson furore
Arsene Wenger dismissed suggestions of a rift within his Arsenal squad and described Cesc Fabregas as an "outstanding leader" following comments by Denilson criticising the Spaniard's leadership qualities.
Arsenal midfielder Denilson issued a statement backing Fabregas on Wednesday after claiming on Brazilian television that the World Cup winner is "not a leader to me".
Fabregas played only the final 20 minutes of Arsenal's FA Cup third -ound replay victory at Leeds on Wednesday night after being named as a substitute by Wenger, but the Arsenal manager insisted he has no reservations over his choice of captain.
"Cesc is an outstanding leader, particularly when you consider he is only 22 years old." Wenger said.
"But I have many leaders in the team. Cesc is the captain and Van Persie is the vice-captain, but we have shared leadership and there are many captains. Samir Nasri was captain tonight.
"I don't think that (criticism) was the spirit of Denilson's comments.
"But the comments were made and maybe there is a bad translation in England. Or perhaps it is a good translator with a bad spirit.
"They (Denilson and Fabregas) are two very good friends with a lot of respect for each other."
Denilson and Fabregas appeared to have put the matter behind them by the time Arsenal boarded a train to Yorkshire on Wednesday morning, with Fabregas posting a photo of the duo smiling, giving the thumbs up, via his Twitter account.
And Fabregas dismissed the issue and claimed that Arsenal's performance at Elland Road emphasised the spirit and camaraderie within Wenger's squad.
Fabregas said: "Everyone loves speculation, but we are here to play football and leadership is what we showed tonight.
"We were winning balls, playing together and won as a team. We want to do well in all of the competitions and we proved that."
In an effort to limit any possible damage caused by his comments, Denilson issued a statement through his Rio-based communications agency, 'Fair Play,' to clarify his position.
Denilson said: "Fabregas is a great friend. When I said the team had no leadership, it was to point out that Arsenal have a very young squad and sometimes lack a more experienced person, as it had for many years with Gilberto Silva for example.
"I am a shy guy, I do not like controversy and problems. I was misquoted. I have talked with Fabregas and everything is resolved.
"We are fighting for the English title and it will not take away our focus."
Although Arsenal have not endured the public spats between players that have troubled Manchester City this season, Arsene Wenger squad has been no stranger to feuds within the camp in recent season.
Midfielder Samir Nasri refused to shake the hand of former team-mate William Gallas prior to the north London derby against Tottenham earlier this season, while Kolo Toure and Gallas also endured a fractious relationship.
And Danish forward Nicklas Bendtner infamously clashed with Emmanuel Adebayor during a clash with Tottenham at White Hart Lane prior to Adebayor's £25 million transfer to City in July 2009.
The quick rapprochement between Denilson and Fabregas suggests that the pair have no underlying issues, although Fabregas's performances this season have come under scrutiny with Barcelona's interest in the player continuing following their failed attempt to lure him to the Nou Camp last summer.
How the Gunners' leadership 'crisis' unfolded
» In an interview with Brazilian television, Denilson appears to criticise Cesc Fabregas' captaincy. "Fabregas is the captain, but he is not a leader to me," he says. The remarks are subsequently picked up by the English media.
» Fabregas responds via his Twitter feed. "Abt what Deni said. I've been in his situation before, just a misunderstanding. Now lets win tonite!"
» To emphasise the point, the Spaniard also posts a mobile phone picture of himself with Denilson, smiling nervously and giving half-hearted thumbs-up signals to the camera.
» Denilson makes a statement 'clarifying' his earlier remarks. "I was misquoted," he says. "Fabregas is a great friend. When I said the team had no leadership it was to point out that Arsenal have a very young squad."
