Wenger attacks Mourinho after Uefa red-card charge

Arsene Wenger has launched a fierce attack on Real Madrid after the Spanish club were charged with improper conduct by Uefa following events during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Ajax.

It's alleged that Real coach Jose Mourinho instructed Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso to get themselves sent off in the second-half, punishments that would rule them out of their final pool match against minnows Auxerre, but which would expunge their disciplinary records going into the knockout phase, for which Real have already qualified.

Ramos and Alonso were indeed booked for timewasting in the dying stages of Real's 4-0 thumping of Ajax and Spanish papers have subsequently published photos purporting to show Real's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, as well as substitute shotstopper Jerzy Dudek, passing on messages to defender Ramos from the bench ordering him to get himself sent off.

The two goalkeepers, Ramos and Alonso, plus Mourinho have been called to a Uefa disciplinary hearing on November 30 to answer charges of misconduct, though Mourinho denies all wrongdoing: "Stories sell, but the important thing is the 4-0 win and the fantastic game we had," he replied when the allegations first surfaced. "Let's talk about that and not other things."

But Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said that if Mourinho is found guilty he should have the book thrown at him. "Yes, I think there should be sanctions," he said on Thursday, adding: "I do not want to see that, it's a pity to see that from a big club and, overall, when you see that it gives a bad image of our game – what we don't want. You don't want to see that on the football pitch. You want to respect people who pay money to watch a game."

Wenger admitted he had been tempted to pull a similar stunt in the past with Arsenal but said his sense of Gallic pride prevented him, and having seen the Real antics on television he's glad he upheld the spirit of the game. "You never say that it doesn't cross your mind to do that. You have to be completely honest about it, but when you see how it looks on television, I must say it is the best demonstration to think 'never do that again' for yourself as well to think 'never do that' because it looks, frankly, horrible."

Wenger and Mourinho had several run-ins when the latter was in charge of Chelsea but the Arsenal manager says his comments about punishing Real have nothing to with personal vendettas but are motivated by his love of the game. "I do not want to go into any individual problem with Jose Mourinho, I do not need to especially have a go at him," said Wenger. "I just think, overall, as a lover of football you don't want to see it. I'm not better in that than Jose Mourinho, or more an example than him. I just think when you watch it on television, it just doesn't look good." ·