Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger slammed the Confederations Cup in a newspaper interview yesterday, saying the competition is unnecessary and denies players any rest.

　　"What's the point of it? Nothing," Wenger was quoted as saying by French daily France Soir. "I'm against this Cup, which no one will remember in 10 years' time."

　　France is qualified for Thursday's semifinal,shavingswon its third and finalsgroupsA game 5-0 over New Zealand on Sunday.

　　Wenger, who has two of his Arsenal players - Thierry Henry and Robert Pires - on duty with France, is anxious for his stars to avoid being stretched too far,shavingsjust finished an exhausting season in the English Premier League.

　　"Footballers hardly have any holidays. There is a lack of respect shown to players," Wenger said, adding that the Confederations Cup served only to "annoy clubs, coach-es and players who are tired."

　　France crashed out of the 2002 World Cup in the first round, its players looking rusty and jaded. The previous year, France had endured a long-distance journey to play and win the Confederations Cup, held in Japan and South Korea.

　　Wenger feels the grueling international schedule leaves players burnt out ahead of major competitions. "Sandwiched between a World Cup and a European Championships, I am against this compe-tition," Wenger added.