Arsene Wenger has claimed that William Gallas was the subject of a "witch hunt" having axed the Frenchman as Arsenal captain last week.
Gallas was stripped of the armband on Friday in the wake of his outspoken attack - made to French journalists ahead of the publication of his autobiography - against his team-mates at the Emirates.
Speaking after the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in which Cesc Fabregas captained the Gunners for the first time, Wenger paid tribute to Gallas after his return to the starting line-up and blamed outside influences for his demise.
"It was based neither on the man himself nor his quality as a player but more on his blunder," Wenger reportedly told French television station Canal+, for whom he works on a part-time basis as a pundit.
"It was a witch-hunt and everything that he did, even when it was good, was bad.
"In these conditions, the player had no chance. He didn't intend to be malicious but it put his team under enormous pressure. He will remain himself and it can free him as a player if there is less pressure."
According to Wenger, Gallas proved his commitment to the Arsenal cause in Tuesday night's win that guarantees the Gunners a place in the next round.
He said: "You could see that he was completely committed at the back and it was not an easy performance for the defence. Overall I feel he did well.
"The crowd responded very well and that means that they acknowledge that he was a committed captain. I was very happy that the crowd responded in a positive way to him."
