Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refuses to be dictated to or "ostracized" by national team coaches who want to keep their players fit before the World Cup.
Wenger was responding to reports that France coach Raymond Domenech had called him "irresponsible" and "outrageous" for playing defender William Gallas against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Gallas faces up to five weeks out after aggravating a calf injury in Wednesday's first-leg match. It was the first time he had played since sustaining the initial injury on Feb. 10.
The France center back scored the controversial goal against Ireland that ensured his country qualified for the World Cup in South Africa.
"They're making a story of it in France," Wenger said after Saturday's 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton in the Premier League. "It's now a situation where a club is not even in a situation where it can decide when it can play its players.
"Club managers have just the right to pay the players, but not to decide when to play them."
The Frenchman acknowledged it was a gamble to play Gallas against Barcelona but believes it works both ways, pointing to the case of Robin van Persie. The Arsenal striker has not played since November, when he damaged ankle ligaments playing for the Netherlands in a friendly.
Wenger suggested Van Persie shouldn't have taken part because it was a friendly match being played "where half of the stadium was empty."
"We couldn't play him for the whole season," Wenger said. "They (the Netherlands) decided to play him. So when we play at home against Barcelona, in a quarterfinal of the Champions League, we are still ostracized because we play a player who's declared himself fit, who's declared fit.
"I believe that's a bit too much."
