Santos apologises to Arsenal fans for poor form

Jan 31, 2013 9:35:00 AM

The 29-year-old Brazil international has come in for criticism from Gunners supporters for his under-par performances this season but has insisted he will improve

Arsenal left-back Andre Santos has apologised to the club's fans for his disappointing form and has pledged to get back to his best.

The Brazilian has regularly attracted the ire of Gunners fans during his time at the club, and never more so than when he asked for former team-mate Robin van Persie's shirt at half-time as the north London side slipped to defeat against Manchester United earlier this season.

But, after the 29-year-old replaced the injured Kieran Gibbs during Arsenal's thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday, Santos has promised his performances will improve.


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"Thank you very much to the fans that support me , slowly I'll reach my the ideal form!!!" Santos wrote on Twitter.

First-choice left-back Gibbs' injury is set to keep him out for three weeks, and Arsene Wenger has admitted he may need to sign a replacement.

"Gibbs has a thigh strain and that rules him out for the next three weeks – it is a big blow for us,” Wenger told reporters.

"I’ll see what I can do. Gibbs was a big player for us going forward and in the game we want to play. I cannot promise you any transfers. We work on it. We want an official extension of the window for one week."

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German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.

5:42 PM BST

Right, just over two hours to go until kick-off, so let's check in with our man Jay Jaffa, who says the atmosphere is already building at Wembley.

"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.

"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."

5:38 PM BST

It is this increasingly bitter rivalry between Bayern and Dortmund that almost guarantees fireworks at Wembley tonight, according to Bayern defender Dante, who spoke exclusively with Goal earlier this week.

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The aforementioned Gotze deal, and the way in which it was leaked to the press on the eve of Dortmund’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg clash with Madrid, has only intensified the antipathy between the two clubs, while, as you can see from the photo below, the man at the centre of the transfer has inevitably been caught in the crossfire. This is all nothing new, of course. Bayern may have loaned a cash-strapped Dortmund money a decade ago but the pair have been locked in a vicious – but entertaining – war of words in the wake of die Schwarzgelben’s subsequent re-emergence as a major force, and Daniel Buse and Enis Koylu have catalogued the best quotes here.

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Right, still plenty of time to go until kick-off, so why not get involved in our Champions League quiz on Twitter? Here's one to start you off:

After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?

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Bayern, as already alluded to, are desperate to atone for defeat against Chelsea 12 months ago and one man who knows all about the agony and ecstasy of Champions League finals is former die Roten defender Samuel Kuffour. The Ghanaian beating the ground in fury after seeing his side concede twice in injury time at the end of the 1999 tournament decider against Manchester United remains one of the most memorable images in the competition’s history, so check out our exclusive interview with Kuffour, who would achieve redemption just two years later when Bayern edged out Valencia on penalties.

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