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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger welcomed 400 firefighters as guests at friendly
Firefighters who fought the Grenfell Tower fire were guests at the Emirates Cup
Wenger described the men and women as 'heroic' in his programme notes

Published: 12:05 EDT, 29 July 2017 | Updated: 12:44 EDT, 29 July 2017

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Hundreds of firefighters who battled the Grenfell Tower fire were the guests of honour at the Emirates Stadium for an Arsenal pre-season friendly tournament.

The Gunners hosted 400 firefighters and their families for the Emirates Cup clash against Benfica on Saturday, with manager Arsene Wenger praising them in his programme notes.

Wenger called the men and women who battled the terrible blaze at the tower block in Kensington 'heroic', and said he was proud to have them watching his team.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger welcomed 400 firefighters as guests at a pre-season game

The firefighters who fought the Grenfell Tower fire are guests at the Emirates Cup matches

Wenger wrote: 'I would like to offer a special welcome to the 400 firefighters and their families who we have invited to both days of the competition. Many of the firefighters were directly involved in the response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

'Heroic is a word we often hear in a football context but these brave men and women truly embody what it means to be a hero.

'I know the club's community department also worked hard with the relief efforts at Grenfell, everyone here at Arsenal was shocked and deeply saddened by events in west London and we send our deepest sympathies to those many families affected.'

Wenger described the men and women as 'heroic' in his programme notes for the match

Arsenal are playing Benfica and Sevilla in the pre-season tournament at their home stadium

The firefighters will be guests both at the game against Benfica, and against La Liga side Sevilla on Sunday. The matches are the first Arsenal have played in England since the fire.

At least 80 people are known to have died in the inferno, which started on the fourth floor of the block leaving many people trapped inside.

For Arsenal the games are their final friendly matches before they take on Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley, then kick off the 2017/18 Premier League season at home to Leicester City.