Dirty TackleArsene Wenger vows that Mathieu Flamini won’t cut his sleeves again
Arsenal have a strict tradition that all players wear the same length sleeves, as decided by the captain, on matchdays. Mathieu Flamini, who played for Arsenal from 2004-2008 before being brought back in on a free transfer over the summer, already flouted that rule once when he cut the sleeves on his shirt before Arsenal's loss to Manchester United earlier this month. This reportedly prompted a heated post-match argument between him and the club's kitman.
But that didn't stop Flamini from cutting his sleeves again before starting in Arsenal's 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille and this time it was manager Arsene Wenger who took issue with his insubordinate tailoring. From the Independent:
“I don't like that and he will not do that again,” Wenger said. “It is a club tradition and I was surprised. We don't want that.”
Flamini, though, insisted that he was fully entitled to dress how he liked. “I have played at the top level for 10 years,” he said. “I like to wear short sleeves.”
The 29-year-old midfielder was a forgotten man after five underwhelming seasons at Milan before Wenger brought him back into the fold at Arsenal. He hasn't played for the French national team since 2008. If Wenger wants him to wear sleeves made of fire ants, he should probably agree to do it so long as it means he continues to play for the club currently atop both the Premier League and their Champions League group.
Wenger aside, Flamini will soon learn that you should never anger the person who handles your clothes. The kitman will have his revenge.
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is the editor of Dirty Tackle on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow on Twitter!
