Karembeu believes Arsenal can deliver
French World Cup winner and club scout is sure club can seal third place
Dubai: Retired French footballer Christian Karembeu has backed Arsenal to go full steam in the final leg of the English Premier League (EPL) and book their place in the UEFA Champions League next season.
“Arsenal have the potential to end in third position in the EPL this season and a major part of their work will be now as they enter the final stretch of the competition,” Karembeu, now a talent scout for the club, told Gulf News during the two-day Peace and Sport Forum Dubai 2013.
Manchester United sealed their 13th league title earlier this week with former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie scoring all three goals in their 3-0 romp over Aston Villa. Arsenal helped themselves to a single-goal win over Fulham to maintain their third position in the table with 63 points, five points behind last year’s champions Manchester City (68 points).
However, with just four rounds remaining in the EPL, Arsenal’s task has been cut out for them as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspurs are hot on their heels with 62 and 61 points, respectively.
The top three finishers in the EPL gain automatic qualification to the UEFA Champions League while the fourth-placed side needs to participate in the play-offs. The fifth team gets an entry into the Europa League.
“The last few matches will make the difference. This is the final push and though Arsenal have struggled, I believe they can end in third and seal their place in the UEFA Champions League for next season,” Karembeu believed.
During his career, Karembeu played for Nantes, Sampdoria, Real Madrid and Middlesbrough among other clubs. He won the Champions League with Real in 1998 and 2000.
Karembeu dedicates a lot of time to his role as a member of “Champions for Peace”, a group of 54 elite athletes and retired athletes committed to promoting peace in the world through sport.
Being a close associate of coach Arsene Wenger, Karembeu is in a position to know exactly what is happening inside the Arsenal dressing room.
“Arsenal have struggled to maintain their form at each and match this season merely because they have a young team when compared to Manchester United or Chelsea. This is the major difference,” he said.
“It is tough for the young players to adapt and adjust between themselves at each match,” Karembeu added.
He asked the fans to be patient. “Arsenal are perhaps one of the most stable clubs in the world today as they strive to strike a balance between the dual aspects of sport and business. Results cannot be instant. We need to stay patient. They are young and they have their challenges before them. Give them some time,” Karembeu said.
