Wenger sorry for Arsenal part in cup final fracas

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made a rare apology for his players' part in the mass brawl that marred last Sunday's English League Cup final against Chelsea.

Wenger, known for a reluctance to admit to seeing his players' wrongdoings, or for saying sorry, told his club's Web site: ''Overall, we are sorry for what happened. We should not have reacted at all.'' Two Arsenal players, Ivorian defender Kolo Toure and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, and one from Chelsea, Nigerian midfielder Jon Obi Mikel, were sent off after the injury-time fracas. Chelsea won the final 2-1.

''When you do not behave like you want to, then you have to apologise,'' said Wenger. ''We want to focus on playing football well. We want to deal well with the frustrations of the game and we want to be exemplary.

''But we also want to remind people that we have been to p of the Fair Play League twice in the last few years...what happened was a one-off for us in the last three years and we are sorry for that.'' Since Wenger took over at Arsenal in September 1996 arsenal have had 68 players sent off, five of them this season.

REUTERS PDS PM1626