Behinderungen » firepower and sub Sam Dickson sealed victory with his

LONDON -- Pressure in football takes a toll on managers in different ways. For Arsene Wenger, its meant less time for the prayers that were such a big part of his childhood. The Arsenal manager is currently trying to end a trophy drought stretching back to 2005 that has sorely tested the patience of the clubs fans. Although the task has not shaken his religious beliefs, its not been without its consequences either. "I prayed a lot when I was a kid because I was educated in a Catholic area," Wenger said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Religion was very strong to us, to ask the priest if I can play on Sunday afternoon ... now I am a bit less (religious) because when you are under pressure you only think of our game. How can I win the next game? And you try to be a bit more pragmatic." The religious upbringing in eastern France, has left Wenger with a principled outlook that he has tried to uphold in his football career. "Belief is important, and I am forever grateful for the values my religion has given," he said. "And basically if you analyze it, all the religions spread good values and positive values, and that is important that you find that in our sport." The 63-year-old Frenchman was speaking on a visit to Londons Jewish Museum surrounded by an exhibition exploring the role of British Jews in football: Football, fans and faith. Wenger talks fondly about how "in every religious community sport is an occasion for people to get together and of course defend the values." For some in football, in an era of rapidly expanding pay packets for players and ticket prices for fans, the sport can seem to have lost its soul. Wenger is not so disconsolate. "Sometimes you see that professional football has moved a little bit away from very, very important values that have existed at the start of the game," he said. "The values that are important in the game today are the same (as always)," Wenger said. "It is a respect for others. It is learning to lose. It is learning to cope with pressure. It is learning to cope with a team sport. So that is exactly the same. Of course the environment is completely different. Why? Because of professionalism and the money." With an economics degree and as a long-time advocate of greater financial responsibility in football, Wenger has tried to adopt what he calls a "socialist model" for Arsenals wage bill. That becomes harder when the need the deliver success saw Wenger break Arsenals transfer record last month to sign Mesut Ozil for 50 million euros ($66 million). Retaining the best talent in the squad also requires salaries to rise in turn. "I always say to the players, Forget the money," Wenger said. "What is important is how well you play together, what you share together is much more important. The money is only a consequence of your experience. The real experience is the game. "And I see that with many players who have stopped their careers. Its not the money they miss -- because they have money. Its that kind of experience. To share the values of our sport, to share the values of being together. And achieving something together." Wenger built his reputation in England on unearthing talented foreign prospects and turning them into Premier League stars. Not everyone was impressed. Selecting an entire match-day squad without an Englishman for the first time in Arsenals history in 2005 helped stir a debate over foreign players that continues to this day. Only this week one of Wengers leading players, Jack Wilshere, expressed unease at calls for young foreign-born players to be naturalized and become eligible to play for England. For Wenger, its a complex issue in a world where national identity has become increasingly blurred. "We live in a global world," Wenger pointed out. "I have players who have three different nationalities. And at the end of the day I ask them, Where do you really feel you belong? And that is for me where you are from." "I have boys who have come from Africa. Many immigrants now come to Europe, they stay four or five years in one country, then they move to another country and they have three different passports," he said. "At the end of the day, I believe you are from the country where you feel the most comfortable with the culture of the country." Wenger never reached a high enough standard as a player to be called up by his country. Success has instead come from the dugout, although his teams last trophy was the 2005 FA Cup -- and it hasnt won the Premier League since 2004. This season started with jeers at the Emirates Stadium when Aston Villa inflicted a defeat that prompted questions about how long Wenger would remain in a job he has held since 1996. However, since that opening day setback, Arsenal has reeled off 10 successive victories in all competitions before drawing a West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. His side entered this two-week international break at the top of the Premier League. There is no gloating, though, at proving wrong the fans who seemed to lose faith in him. "Its not a personal battle," he said. "My desire is I love to win. I love to do well. I just feel I am happy if I can give some pleasure and happiness to people who love Arsenal. That is my main target. When I dont achieve that I am very disappointed." Plucked from the relative obscurity of Grampus Eight in Nagoya, Japan, Wenger has delivered three Premier League titles and four FA Cups over his 17-year reign. As for the future, its one he clearly envisages in his adopted homeland. "I can see the rest of my life in England, why not?" Wenger said as the interview drew to a close. "I feel comfortable in this country because we share a common passion for football and as well I am very thankful for this country for having accepted me and giving me a chance," he added. "I am happy on the football pitch." And he shows no desire yet to leave it. Steve Atwater Jersey . Following the Ford Womens World Curling Championship gold medal match that attracted record-breaking audiences to TSN, the networks exclusive live coverage of the tournament begins Saturday at 7am et/4am pt with Canadas opening draw against Denmark. Royce Freeman Youth Jersey . - Kevin Labanc and Joseph Blandisi were a potent combination for the Barrie Colts on Friday night. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-joe-flacco-broncos-jerseys/ . -- Oakland Athletics third baseman Scott Sizemore has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. John Elway Jersey . The Bulls seem to be getting along fine without him. D.J. Augustin scored 27 points in a start for Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson matched a career high with 26 filling in for Carlos Boozer as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since trading the popular Deng with a 98-87 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Joe Flacco Jersey .Y. -- Phil Jackson lost out on his preferred coach, but hes working hard on keeping his star player.HONG KONG -- Canada moved up two places to seventh in the IRB Sevens World Series standings after finishing tied for seventh Sunday at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. New Zealand brushed aside England 26-7 to win the event and reclaim top spot in the overall standings. The All Blacks, the defending World Series champions, won their third tournament this season in style, running four tries past England to claim their 11th Cup championship in Hong Kong and first since 2011. Canada finished runner-up to England in Pool C with a 2-1-0 record to reach the quarter-finals of the elite Cup competition for the fourth event in a row. And it led Australia twice in Sundays quarter-final -- 5-0 and 12-7 on tries by Harry Jones and Ciaran Hearn -- before giving up a converted try in the final minute. Canada then lost 31-14 to Wales in the consolation Plate semifinal. Wales led 19-0 before Canada got on the board. Jones and Sean Duke scored tries for Canada. The Canadians were without captain Nathan Hirayama, ruled out by injury. Canada finished 12th in last years series standings. In Sundays final, first-half tries from Ben Lam and Tim Mikkelson gave New Zealand a 12-0 lead but England hit back just before the break when Tom Powell burst through to touch down from a quickly taken tap penalty to reduce the deficit to just five points. But evergreen captain DJ Forbes, who had a huge impact on the final day with his bustling play at the breakdown, quickly put New Zealand back in command, stretching the lead after receiving a hugge cut-out pass from Sherwin Stowers to score uncontested.dddddddddddd "We were given a lesson by England last week (in Tokyo) but here we are on the podium. It feels good to win in Hong Kong again," said an elated Forbes. Despite a second try by Lam being overturned, and the winger being penalized for an off-the-ball offence, the men in black had too much firepower and sub Sam Dickson sealed victory with his sides fourth try. The victory allowed New Zealand to regain the lead from South Africa who had entered the Hong Kong Sevens holding a two-point lead. With two more legs remaining in Scotland and England in May, New Zealand top the standings with 136 points, seven points ahead of South Africa who stumbled badly after losing in the Cup quarter-finals to England, 14-7. Fiji are third on 112 while England fourth on 105. England had booked its berth in the Cup final with a 17-7 victory over Fiji in the semifinal. Fiji had looked impressive in the run-up and seemed on course for back-to-back titles after winning in Tokyo last week but came undone against a disciplined English side. New Zealands path to the final was a 28-5 win over Wales in the quarter-finals followed by a 19-7 victory over trans-Tasman rivals Australia. Japan became the first Asian team to win a core team spot on the World Series when it won the qualifying tournament defeating Italy 26-5. Japan will play in the remaining two legs this season in Scotland and England, and all nine legs in the World Series next season. ' ' '