Andre Santos has apologised to Arsenal fans for the storm created by swapping shirts with Robin van Persie.

The Brazilian defender exchanged shirts with his former teammate during the interval as Arsenal slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Gunners fans have slammed Santos for the incident that has also drawn criticism from Arsene Wenger, who admitted that it was not the right thing to do.

Santos broke his silence to try to explain his actions and admitted that he has been surprised by the level of anger the incident has caused.

He told The Sun: "I'd like to apologise to supporters who felt aggrieved by it. Did I think it would cause such a commotion? Of course I didn't, otherwise I would have told Robin to exchange the shirts away from public view.

"Robin's departure to United did not turn him into an enemy for me. We remain friends and he talked about exchanging shirts, which is something players do all the time. I just want people to understand he is my friend and I wouldn't treat him differently because of the move to United.

"He approached me at half-time and at the time I did not think it would create such an uproar. I would never refrain from saying 'hi' to a good friend. It surprised me that people latched on to a gesture that promotes friendship and fair play."

The 29-year-old is under pressure to improve his performances as Arsenal continue their Champions League campaign tonight with a trip to Schalke.