Arsene Wenger has played down Kolo Toure's admission that he does not get on with William Gallas.
Gunners boss unconcerned by Toure and Gallas' relationship
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has played down Kolo Toure's admission that he does not get on with team-mate William Gallas.
Ivorian centre-back Toure, who reportedly handed in a transfer request in January, has admitted his relationship with defensive partner Gallas is strictly professional.
The duo have formed an impressive pairing of late, and Wenger has stressed that their displays demonstrate the insignificance of off-the-field relations.
"What is important is that when you are professionals, you play together," Wenger said.
Paradise
"To be professional is to do what it takes for your team to be successful, not more than that - it does not mean that you go to paradise together.
"You have big examples of players who did not get on very well, but that does not mean they cannot play together.
"In football, you can take a Russian and an American, at the highest period of tension, and they can play very well together because sport demands the analysis of a situation in a fraction of a second, and both can have that even if they do not speak.
"The most important thing is the big players respect the game.
"They put the respect for the game at a higher level than any other situation - if the game needs me to give you the ball now, even if I do not like you, then I give you the ball."
