Arsenal Keeper’s Father Questions Arsène Wenger

In theory, parents only care about what is best for their children. So they become very passionate when an outsider seems to do anything that may put their offspring in jeopardy—that is the parental instinct.

But at times, this affection leads to madness specially when fathers put the effort in being an additional coach from the side lines or simply at home. And it really losses its concept when what a father may think that this could turn in a ‘constructive criticism’ even if in a professional scenario.

Arsenal keeper, Wojciech Szczesny has had to distance himself from his father’s recent comments to avoid any turbulence for the 22-year-old. His father Maciej Szczesny, a former professional Poland keeper, made harsh critics  on why his son is on the bench and about the management style from Arsène Wenger.

Among his comments to the Polish paper, Gazeta Wyborcza, he said, “Wenger already started to look for the scapegoat. It is not the way the boss should behave.”

He also said, “Wojciech has had two serious injuries. He played with one in April and May (last year). He shouldn’t have agreed to play that time, but the coach insisted. Wojciech did not train the whole week and then a warm-up on Friday and played the match on Saturday. He was naturally more susceptible to minor injuries and his form was going down.”

The heated remarks from Szczesny senior, came right after his son was dropped from the first-team alleged to be “mentally affected” according to Wenger. And in the past two games having Lukasz Fabianski defending the Gunners, the team has not suffered a goal.

Wojciech Szczesny, who arrived at Emirates Stadium seven years ago, is concentrated with the Poland national team that will face Ukraine and San Marino. He released a formal apology the day after his father’s comments went viral in Arsenal’s official website on his behalf, saying, “I would like to apologise for the comments made by my father which have been used by both Polish and English media.

And he added, “I’d like to make it clear that those were the views and opinions of my father and not mine, and although I respect his views I cannot accept them as I find them disrespectful to the club I truly love.”

And if you wondered whether other similar cases might have happened in different professional soccer leagues around the world, here is your answer.

In a country where most, if not all citizens, try to suggest what would be best for their national team as well as their favorite clubs, Brazilian fathers have shocked the local media, too.

One of the most recent episodes took place in the southern club, Grêmio. The team’s Bolivian international striker, Marcelo Moreno, was involved in a possible transfer early in February of this year. The plan was to trade him for Palmeiras striker Barcos.

But Moreno’s father, Mauro Martins, stood on his ground and “prohibited” his son to move to a “lower division” team.

“He [Moreno] has to play for a club bigger than Grêmio, not inferior. I was a soccer player for 16 years, and my son has to improve on in his career,” Martins said to Globoesporte.com in February. “Palmeiras, today, is a club of second, third division. They have nothing. They don’t have money or other players, and the ones remaining are all failures. I don’t want that my son goes there to be a failure, as well.”

 

Palmeiras indeed went to the second division of the Brazilian national league last season and are reformulating their management as well as their first-time squad. But they are also one of the most traditional clubs in the country.

Of course, after that negative exposure given to Moreno, the still Grêmio striker came later on the exact same day to publicly say on behalf of his father, “I would like to apologize for the clubs and players involved in the comments from my father. Dads are dads. He acted out of pure impulse. Sorry,” he said according to Terra.

Another case was in January of this year—also in Brazil—this time at the largest fan base team in the country, Flamengo. The club’s player maker, Ibson, was feeling his salary and contract were not as the club initially had said it would be. So his father, Laís da Silva, decided to make some remarks.

“The previous management went to get him [Ibson]. He is not a beginner athlete he has an enviable resume. He was part of the sixth [national league title], fifth time [of the three state titles in a row], he entered to the history of Flamengo. You have to respect it. If Flamengo understands that the salary is higher than what they would like to pay, he gets it. But contracts were made to be followed,” said da Silva according to UOL.

 

This time the player did not come to apologize for what his father had said.

To seek what is in the best interest for a son who is a professional athlete is not the same as shouting in a middle school or high school game. You also do not get the privilege of chatting with the coach, as you would while dropping off the kid at school. These boundaries exist for a reason and with the perception that adult athletes are mature and capable enough to decide what is best for themselves by themselves.