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Arsene Wenger has revealed he is keen to become an ambassador for England's troubled 2018 World Cup bid.
England's attempts to host the competition for the first time since 1966 have been damaged by infighting, the latest example of which saw Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards resign from the bid's board this week.
That shock move came just 10 days after Lord Triesman tried to draw a line under recent turmoil by streamlining the board at an emergency meeting.
Triesman, chairman of the bid and Football Association, has been criticised for his handling of a campaign which FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has described as “plodding along” .
Given Wenger's stature within the game he would bring a fresh impetus to the project and the Arsenal manager would welcome an approach from the bid team to get involved.
“I am a big supporter of England's bid for the 2018 World Cup,” he said. “If I can help them, I would be very happy to do it because I think this country deserves the World Cup. It didn't get it for a long time and I don't think it is normal that the country that created this sport hasn't had the World Cup since 1966. Countries like Germany have had it twice in between.
“I don't understand a lot of stories that the campaign is not in a good way. If you have the infrastructures, stadiums, passion and the power to organise it, I don't understand all the rest.”
Wenger's priority, however, is Sunday's game with table-topping Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.
Last week's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland has left Arsenal eight points behind the Blues and raised question marks about the team's ability to grind out results in tough situations.
But Wenger believes his men will show their real value against Carlo Ancelotti's side. He said: “It is a big test but that's what you want. There is a period for any team to show their strengths. For my team, this moment has come.
“We are no longer a team that have to be considered as young. I think we have the strengths to compete.”
