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Mathieu Flamini has agreed to respect Arsenal's long-running shirt tradition after getting his knuckles rapped over "sleevegate."

Flamini upset the north Londoners' traditionalists - and manager Arsene Wenger - by cutting off the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt for Tuesday's match against Marseille.

That upset a tradition which dates back to legendary manager Herbert Chapman's days in the 1930s, where every player wears the same style shirt as their captain.

Midfielder Flamini even had words with kit-man Vik Akers after doing the same at Manchester United earlier this month.

But before Tuesday's Champions League game with Marseille, the Frenchman defied orders by taking a pair of scissors to his shirt after discovering skipper Per Mertesacker was wearing long sleeves on the night.

Wenger insisted Flamini "would not do it again" after giving him a public admonishment after the game, and the French international has now been reminded of the tradition.

(Image: Getty/Rex)

Mirror Sport understands he says he will not cut his sleeves against Cardiff on Saturday.

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon backed the tradition on Twitter insisting it was part of the club's history and should be respected.

Dixon wrote: "I used to like to wear short sleeves too. I wore the same as captain. Club tradition must remain at all costs.

"Players buy into the tradition of a club - they should fight to keep the ones that resonate.

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"Rodders (Tony Adams) used to ask the players to vote. If it was long, then I rolled up after kick-off."

Striker Olivier Giroud also rolls up his sleeves and, surprisingly, Flamini is the first player not to fall into line over the shirt rule.

The debate has divided fans but the shirt Flamini 'remodelled' at Old Trafford featured a poppie to commemorate Remembrance Sunday, and has raised more than £2,000 for the Royal British Legion in an online auction.

And here was how the bidding stood yesterday on all of the squad's shirts: