Van Persie plays down Barca hotel visit

Posted Monday, April 23, 2012 by The Sun

Van Persie plays down Barca hotel visit
DATE WITH A MATE ... Robin Van Persie nipped into Barcelona's London hotel on Tuesday

ROBIN VAN PERSIE insists his midweek visit to Barcelona’s team hotel was NOT to discuss a move to the Spanish giants.

The Arsenal skipper was pictured at Barca’s London Hotel on Tuesday, fuelling speculation he could join Lionel Messi and Co this summer.

The 28-year-old Dutchman is refusing to make a decision about his long-term future until the end of the season.

But, writing in yesterday’s match programme, he declared: “The visit to the hotel was a social one and nothing to do with the future of my career.

“The explanation is really very simple. My very good friend Ibrahim Afellay plays for Barcelona.

“After a bad, long-term injury, he was finally back with the team — and during his absence I had been in contact with him a lot, but I hadn’t seen him.

“I was wearing my Arsenal tracksuit and we sat down by the reception to have a chat and some food — everyone could see us and there was nothing to hide.”

The Holland striker, who has a year left on his contract, added: “I do have a social life next to football, even if my wife tells me that it sometimes doesn’t seem that way!

“Nothing has changed in the sense that my intention remains to discuss my future in the summer.”

Van Persie also hit back at Gary Caldwell’s claim that he refused to shake the Wigan captain’s hand after Arsenal’s shock 2-1 defeat on Monday night.

He said: “If you look properly at what happened, I offered him my left hand but he refused it and acted like the innocent party.”