Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin has decided to come out and repeatedly deny that he's unhappy at the club. Arshavin told Russian sports daily Sport Express that he is often misquoted and mistranslated in the English press.
Breaking news: the English tabloids misquote people, especially athletes. Arshavin's next discovery will be that water is wet. Coverage of events in the tabloids is poor at best, and fabricated at worst. Viewer discretion is advised, but for the worst case scenario, check out The Sun's 1989 coverage of the Hillsborough Disaster—retracted only 15 years later.
If Arshavin really is comfortable in the English game, I'm shocked. I'm happy for him, but I'm stunned. Arshavin is a finesse player, and finesse players often get lumps kicked out of them in England.
Arshavin's an open book: Arshavin was named to Euro 2008's all-star team; when he's "on", he's one of a handful of men playing today who can totally dominate a game. Arshavin has scored 15 goals for Arsenal so far, but has disappeared in games when he's been the target of rough play. Since February 2009, he's missed a total of four months with minor injuries.
Arshavin left Russia because he thought he was too big a fish in a small pond. I understand that—and with family ties to a Russian club that Arshavin shredded often, I might have chipped in for his plane ticket from St. Petersburg to London. But Arshavin needs to play in a league that's less physical, or at least on a team that can better protect him. Arsenal doesn't have the enforcers, or the reputation, that it had ten years ago.
The most recent comment attributed, or misattributed to Arshavin, is that he wants to move to Barcelona. He now says he doesn't seek such a transfer. I hope not: I only support two teams to the hilt, and one of them is "whoever's playing against Barcelona this week". But a move away from England makes sense, and Barcelona suits Arshavin's style. Who Arshavin might "replace" at Barcelona is unclear, but he can play forward, midfield, or wing—room would be found.
In the meantime, Arshavin seems to have gotten used to English opponents' shoulder charges and nudges. Good for him. Now he must learn to take the shin-kicks from the tabloids.