Arsene Wenger believes the success of Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud has created a question mark against the French academy system.
The duo are now regulars in their national team despite spending their youth careers at relatively unknown clubs in France.
"It questions a lot about French academies," said Wenger. "In the French national team you have plenty of players who have been rejected by the academies.
"They have shown how much they want it and they have the mental strength to cope with the top level"
Arsene Wenger
"One of them is [Frank] Ribery who will maybe win the Ballon d'Or. You have four or five who play in the national team who have been rejected by the academy where they have been educated. It's unbelievable."
Wenger hailed the effort the Arsenal pair have put in since joining the Gunners and says their mental strength has been "tested".
"The only thing you can say is that their mental strength has been tested," he said. "They had to be ejected and they showed that they love it enough and they are ready to put effort in enough to come back.
"That’s maybe why they are successful today, because they have shown how much they want it and they have the mental strength to cope with the top level."
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