Wenger mum on affair claims

London - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has appealed for privacy after a British newspaper carried a front-page story alleging he had an affair with a French singer.

Saturday's edition of The Sun published pictures of the married 61-year-old Frenchman meeting a woman it identified as 39-year-old Sonia Tatar on Thursday in Paris. The paper alleged the two have had a two-year relationship.

Wenger said in a statement that "this is a very serious matter. I do not intend to make any comment and wish to deal with the matter privately."

Arsenal says it considers the allegations to be a "strictly a private matter and we ask that the privacy of Arsene and his family be respected."

Wenger has been the Arsenal manager since 1996.