Football: Arsenal’s Wilshere warned by UEFA

LONDON: Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been reprimanded by Uefa after he made comments on Twitter that suggested he had a bet placed on teammate Emmanuel Frimpong to be the first scorer in the Champions League match against Olympiacos in December. The 20-year-old, who didn’t play due to an ankle injury that forced him to miss all of last season, later insisted that he had only been joking. “I didn’t actually bet on the game,” said Wilshere. “I know we’re not allowed to! I was only messing.” Uefa’s regulations forbid players from gambling on matches in which their teams are involved. “The player has been warned for being in breach of the principles of integrity of matches and competitions,” said a Uefa spokesman.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2012.