Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (born 22 October 1949) is a French former
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
and
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who i ...
who is currently serving as
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
's Chief of Global Football Development. He was the manager of
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
from 1996 to 2018, where he was the longest-serving and most successful in the club's history. His contribution to
English football through changes to scouting, players' training and diet regimens revitalised Arsenal and aided the globalisation of the sport in the 21st century.
Born in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
and raised in
Duttlenheim, Wenger was introduced to football by his father, the manager of the local village team. After a modest playing career, in which he made appearances for several amateur clubs, Wenger obtained a manager's diploma in 1981. Following an unsuccessful period at
Nancy in 1987, Wenger joined
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
; the club won the league championship in
1988 and won the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
in 1991. In 1995, he became coach of
J.League side
Nagoya Grampus Eight
; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017.
Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...
and won the
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or Japan FA Cup, and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards, is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formatio ...
and
Japanese Super Cup in his first and only year.
Wenger was named manager of Arsenal in 1996; his appointment was greeted with little enthusiasm from the English media and his players alike but he became the first foreign manager to win a
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
in 1998. Wenger guided Arsenal to another league and cup double in 2002 and won his third league title
unbeaten in 2004 – this was the first time an English club, after
Preston North End 115 years previously, went unbeaten. Arsenal later set the record for most league matches unbeaten (49) before
losing in October 2004. Under him, the club made its first appearance in a
Champions League final in 2006 and relocated to the
Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
; this move caused Wenger to prioritise the club's finances to meet costs, which coincided with a nine-year spell without winning a trophy. Wenger guided Arsenal to further FA Cup successes in the 2010s; he holds the record for most wins in the competition with seven. He departed as manager in 2018 and retired.
The nickname "''Le Professeur''" is used by fans and the English press to reflect Wenger's studious demeanour. He is one of the most celebrated managers of his generation, having changed perceptions of the sport and profession in England and abroad. He has been praised for his entertaining, attacking approach to the game but his Arsenal teams were criticised for their indiscipline and naivety; his players received 100
red cards between September 1996 and February 2014, though the team also won awards for sporting
fair play. Wenger also earned a reputation for spotting young talent and developing a
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show en ...
throughout his career.
Early life
Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger
was born on 22 October 1949 in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
,
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
, the youngest of three children born to Alphonse and Louise Wenger. He lived in
Duppigheim during the 1950s, but spent most of his time in the neighbouring village of
Duttlenheim, south-west of Strasbourg. Arsène's father, Alphonse, like many
Alsatians, was
conscripted into the German Army by force following Germany's earlier annexation of the French region of
Alsace-Lorraine.
[ ] He was sent to fight on the
Eastern Front in October 1944, at the age of 24.
The Wenger family owned an automobile spare parts business and a
bistro named La Croix d'Or.
In his book, ''My Life in Red and White'', Wenger says the "alcohol, brawling and violence" of the bistro's patrons sparked his early interest in human psychology. His parents had difficulty looking after their children, but Duttlenheim was a village where everyone took care of the young; Wenger compared it in later years to a
kibbutz
A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...
.
Before Wenger started school, he expressed himself in the local
Alsatian dialect
Alsatian ( or "Alsatian German"; Lorraine Franconian: ''Elsässerdeitsch''; ; or ) is the group of Alemannic German dialects spoken in most of Alsace, a formerly disputed region in eastern France that has passed between French and German co ...
of
Low Alemannic German
Low Alemannic German () is a branch of Alemannic German, which is part of Upper German. Its varieties are only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers.
Subdivisions
*Lake Constance Alemannic (:de:Bodenseealemannisch, de)
**Northern Vorarl ...
. The primary school which Wenger attended was run by the Catholic Church, and as one of its brightest students, he later was accepted into a secondary school in
Obernai
Obernai (Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Owernah''; ) is Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Departments of France, department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
Obernai is a rapidly g ...
.
According to his father, who also managed the village team, Wenger was introduced to football "at about the age of six".
He was taken to games in Germany, where he held an affection for
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e.V. Mönchengladbach, better known as Borussia Mönchengladbach () and colloquially known as just Gladbach, is a professional Association football, football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-W ...
. Alsace was an area steeped in religion; Wenger and the village boys often needed to seek permission from the Catholic priest to miss
vespers
Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...
in order to play football.
Playing career
Because the population of
Duttlenheim was short in numbers, it proved difficult to field a team of 11 players of equal ages; Wenger did not play for FC Duttlenheim until the age of 12. Claude Wenger, a teammate of Arsène's, noted his lack of pace as a player, which he made up for with his "ability to guard the ball,
eemingto have a complete vision of the pitch and having an influence among his team-mates", according to Marcel Brandner, the president of FC Duttlenheim.
As a young teenager, he was called ''Petit''; the nickname ceased when he had a growth spurt and broke into FC Duttlenheim's first team, aged 16. The team did not have a coach to prepare the players tactically, rather a person who supervised training sessions. Wenger took it upon himself to manage the side, with Claude stating "Arsène wasn't the captain and yet he was. It was 'You do this, you do that, you do this, you do that.' He was the leader".
In 1969, Wenger was recruited to nearby third division club
Mutzig
Mutzig ( or ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Departments of France, department in Grand Est, in north-eastern France. The commune of Mutzig is located at the entrance of the Bruche (river), Bruche river valley, on the Route d ...
. The club was famed for playing the "best amateur football" in Alsace and managed by Max Hild, who would later go on to become Wenger's mentor.
Wenger's emergence at Mutzig aged 20 was considered too late for him to build a reputable playing career. Football was not seen as his future; the plan was for him to run the family's spare parts business. He was, however, of the age to start increasing his tactical knowledge of the sport. He frequently read ''
France Football
''France Football'' is a French monthly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It is considered to be one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of its photographic reports, in-depth and exclus ...
'' and alongside Hild made trips to Germany to watch
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
matches and observe the different
managerial styles. During Wenger's three years at Mutzig, the club beat
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
3–0 to win the Coupe d'Alsace.
He also represented
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
in a competition held annually between the regional leagues.
Wenger took his studies further, and in 1971 enrolled at the (Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences) at the
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...
to read politics and economics after a brief stint in medicine. In 1973 he joined semi-professional club
Mulhouse
Mulhouse (; ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Mìlhüsa'' ; , meaning "Mill (grinding), mill house") is a France, French city of the European Collectivity of Alsace (Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region of France). It is near the Fran ...
and balanced his football career with his education. Wenger completed an economics degree a year later. He was selected to represent the national French students squad and visited Nigeria, Lebanon, and Uruguay – where the World Students Championship was held in 1976. Wenger did not participate in the event as he was injured;
Jean-Luc Arribart, captain of the team recalled: "By the end of that trip, Arsène had almost taken on the role of assistant coach and team joker rolled into one."
At Mulhouse, Wenger was managed by
Paul Frantz, who also had a profound impact on his career. It was he who formalised Wenger's beliefs on the importance of nutrition, isometrics and working on a player's strong points. Wenger played in midfield for Mulhouse, often positioned on the right. In their final game of the 1974–75 season, the club beat
Nancy to avoid relegation, but shortly afterwards, Frantz resigned. Wenger also made the decision to leave, as the regular commutes to Mulhouse from Strasbourg overwhelmed him. In 1975, he rekindled his friendship with Hild and signed for amateur club
ASPV Strasbourg (Vauban). Hild needed a midfielder "who could organise play and also have a sort of hold over the team" and decided to recruit Wenger. Vauban was formed in 1971, and made steady progress up the French football league system thereafter; Wenger's three seasons at the club culminated with promotion to the third division.
In 1978, Hild joined Strasbourg as coach of the reserve team. The role required him to scout, so Hild wanted an experienced player to work with the youth while he was away. Both Hild and Frantz recommended Wenger, which convinced manager
Gilbert Gress to appoint him. Wenger's playing career at the age of 28 began to wane, but he never anticipated a role in the first team. Working for Strasbourg, however, presented him his first full-time job at the club he supported as a young boy. Hild moved Wenger from midfield to central defence, where he was positioned as a
sweeper in reserve games. In November 1978, he made his debut for the first team against
MSV Duisburg
Meidericher Spielverein 02 e. V. Duisburg, commonly known as simply MSV Duisburg (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed ''Die Zebras'' for their traditional striped jer ...
in the
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
(a match Strasbourg lost 4–0) and a month later, Wenger played against champions
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
in the First Division. At the end of the 1978–79 season, RC Strasbourg won the
league; Wenger did not join in the celebrations as he was preoccupied with the youth team. He made his final appearance for the senior side in 1979.
Wenger spent the last two years of his playing career predominantly running Strasbourg's reserve and youth team. He became conscious of the importance of speaking English, and during his holidays enrolled on a three-week language course at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. Wenger also studied for his coaching badge at the (CREPS) in Strasbourg – this consisted of a course to coach children, followed by an intensive six-day course which led up to the national coaching badge. The latter programme took place in Vichy, and was spread over three weeks, allowing Wenger to be able to put Frantz's teachings of isometrics into practice. In 1981, he received his manager's diploma in Paris.
Managerial career
1984–1994: Nancy and Monaco
Wenger's management skills at Strasbourg impressed many French coaches, and he moved to Ligue 2 club
Cannes
Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
in 1983, where he became
Jean-Marc Guillou's assistant. Earning a steady wage of £300 per week, he was responsible for collecting information about opposition teams, and instilled discipline in the players through training sessions. Wenger's commitment to football was well documented; when asked what the young coach did during his spare time, general manager Richard Conte replied: "Videos, videos, videos. He was always watching videos of his opponents, of his own team. It didn't matter what time of night." Cannes failed to win promotion to Ligue 1, but they reached the quarter-finals of the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
. Wenger's work in raising the standard of the squad did not go unnoticed, and in 1984, he accepted Aldo Platini's offer to become manager of Nancy.
The challenge of sustaining Nancy as a Ligue 1 club was difficult as Wenger inherited a squad of sub-standard quality and he was given limited money to spend. He nevertheless relished the prospect of conducting business in the transfer market, and enjoyed freedom to trial theories he read about. In his first season at Nancy, Wenger hired a dietician to explain the benefits of healthy eating and made it imperative that players did not snack before games. He took the squad away from their usual summer training camp to Val Thorens, so that the players could acclimatise to the high-altitude. Platini attested the move to their strong league starts. From a managerial perspective, Wenger struggled to keep his emotions in check; losing made him "physically sick", to the point where he once stopped the team bus to vomit after a game. Wenger guided the club to a respectable 12th-place finish, all the more surprising given he constantly tinkered his team. Players were moved out of their favoured positions, which for some maximised their potential. Éric Bertrand, a striker signed from the lower divisions, was converted into a fullback, and by the end of Wenger's time at Nancy,
Éric Di Meco switched from a left winger to wing back.
Nancy's bottom-half finish proved a false dawn as the club finished 18th in the 1985–86 season, which meant they had to win a play-off match to avoid relegation. They retained their league status with a 3–2 aggregate win against Mulhouse. The club however sold several of their best players to avoid financial predicament and provided Wenger with little funds to work with. In Wenger's final season in charge, Nancy finished 19th and were relegated to Ligue 2. Despite the setbacks, he was contacted by Monaco over their vacant managerial job. Talks had begun during the summer of 1986, but Nancy chairman Gérard Rousselot refused to release Wenger from his contract, and Monaco were not prepared to offer compensation.
Once Nancy's relegation was confirmed, Wenger was permitted to leave the club by mutual consent and was confirmed as Monaco manager in 1987.
Before joining Monaco, Wenger had identified several players to build his desired team.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder
Glenn Hoddle, granted a free transfer, and
Patrick Battiston, out of contract at
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, were signed. Striker
Mark Hateley
Mark Wayne Hateley (born 7 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), striker. He started his career with Coventry City F.C., Coventry City in the Football L ...
left
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
to join Monaco and was "encouraged to learn" that his fellow Englishman Hoddle would play in the same side as him. Monaco won the league in Wenger's debut season, six points ahead of runners-up Bordeaux. Although the team scored more goals in
1988–89 due to the purchase of Liberian striker
George Weah
George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional Association football, footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served ...
, Monaco failed to retain the league and finished third behind
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
and
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
. The club reached the final of the Coupe de France, the national knockout cup competition in the same season, but lost 4–3 to Marseille.
Monaco again finished third in
1989–90; striker
Ramón Díaz scored 15 goals in his first season at the club. The club beat league winners Marseille in the
Coupe de France final through a last-minute goal from
substitute Gérald Passi.
In
1991–92, Monaco finished in second place and lost the
1992 European Cup Winners' Cup Final 2–0 to
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...
. Although Monaco acquired the services of German striker
Jürgen Klinsmann, the club could not regain the championship and concluded the subsequent seasons in third and ninth positions. Monaco did reach the semi-finals of the
Champions League in April 1994, but lost to eventual winners Milan.
As a result of his work at Monaco, Wenger was sought after by German club
Bayern Munich, who wanted him to be their next manager. Monaco refused to let him leave and Wenger chose to stay, but a poor start to the
1994–95 season meant he was dismissed on 17 September 1994, with the team in 17th spot in the table. In 2001, Wenger said that the impact of bribery and corruption had influenced his decision to leave France, as Marseille were
found guilty of match fixing in 1994.
1994–1996: Nagoya Grampus Eight
Shortly after his dismissal, Wenger travelled to the United Arab Emirates to attend a series of conferences held by FIFA. Wenger was a member of the football governing body's technical committee, responsible for analysing the
1994 World Cup, and made a presentation to coaches of emerging football nations. His speech was closely followed by Japanese delegates, whose country had invested millions into the restructuring of its football league system. Representatives of
Toyota
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
, the majority owner of
Nagoya Grampus Eight
; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017.
Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...
soon met with Wenger and offered him the chance to become the club's manager. Wenger deliberated, even though the idea of working abroad appealed to him; negotiations between the two parties lasted for two months. In that time, he sought the advice of his closest friends and family, and flew to Japan to watch Nagoya Grampus' striker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
make his final appearance before his professional retirement. In December 1994, Wenger agreed to become manager of Nagoya Grampus, on a two-year contract worth
¥75m annually.
With the new season of the
J.League commencing in March 1995, Wenger set about assembling his squad and backroom staff. He hired former
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...
manager
Boro Primorac, whom he had befriended during the match-fixing scandal, as his assistant.
[ ] Alexandre Torres joined Nagoya after Wenger identified the defender by watching Brazilian football on the television, and the manager brought in
Franck Durix and his former player Passi. Nagoya finished bottom of the J.League the season before Wenger's arrival, and continued their poor form into the following campaign, losing several matches in a row. In response to the situation, Wenger altered his managerial style, becoming less amicable with his players and openly questioning their desire. To boost morale, he took his squad to Versailles for their mid-season break, where they went through a rigorous, but creative, training regime. Players were expected to make decisions for themselves on the pitch, instead of relying on the manager; Wenger was reported to have shouted to his players "Don't look at me to ask me what to do with the ball!" and "Decide for yourself! Why don't you think it out?" One player who greatly benefited from Wenger's guidance was
Dragan Stojković, a midfielder whose disciplinary record improved considerably.
Wenger's methods had the desired effect – Nagoya won 17 of their following 27 games to finish
runners-up in 1995. He shortly received the
J. League Manager of the Year award for 1995, while Stojković claimed the player's honour. In January 1996, Wenger guided the club to their first piece of silverware as Nagoya defeated
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima () is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Hiroshima. The club competes in the J1 League, top flight of the Japanese football league system. Sanfrecce is one of the most successful clubs in Ja ...
to win the Emperor's Cup. Two months later they triumphed in the Super Cup, beating
Yokohama Marinos 2–0. The success bolstered Nagoya's status in Japanese football, as well as Wenger's reputation; he was somewhat startled by the praise and idolisation that came his way. Midway through the
1996 league season, Wenger's former club Strasbourg enquired about the possibility of him returning to manage them. He turned down the offer, as he had been approached by
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
.
David Dein had remained in contact with Wenger after their first meeting, and frequently sent him video tapes of matches to garner his opinions; "He was my personal pundit," the vice-chairman recalled. The Arsenal board rebuffed Dein's suggestion to appoint Wenger as early as 1995, but concerns over
George Graham's successor
Bruce Rioch meant they were more open-minded about hiring him since his stint in Japan.
Wenger managed Nagoya for the final time on 28 August 1996 and delivered a farewell speech, thanking the fans in Japanese. Assessing his time in Japan, biographer Jasper Rees felt Wenger had left a mixed legacy at the club, as the immediate success was followed by fluctuating league finishes; it was not until 2010 that Nagoya (under Stojković) won their first title. Wenger continued to speak fondly of his career in Japan, and once likened the country to his ancestral home: "It has beautiful things that we have lost in Europe, beautiful things that make life good." He also credited the culture for improving his temperament and rediscovering his passion for the game. Wenger returned to Japan as a television pundit for the
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivi ...
, and a decade later, took Arsenal to face Nagoya in a pre-season friendly.
1996–2018: Arsenal
1996–1997: Appointment and first season
In August 1996, Arsenal dismissed Bruce Rioch as club manager.
Rioch's position had become untenable after a dispute with the board over transfers, and his working relationship with Dein worsened during the course of his tenure.
Arsenal appointed
Stewart Houston and later
Pat Rice in temporary charge of the first team, while they searched for a full-time successor. Although Barcelona player and manager
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016), internationally known as Johan Cruyff (), was a Dutch professional Association football, football player and Manager (association football), manager. Regarded as one of the greatest ...
was favourite to take over, the board looked elsewhere, eventually backing Dein's proposal to hire Wenger. The appointment was delayed for several weeks as Wenger was under contract at Nagoya Grampus and the club wanted time to make a final decision. In the meantime, the Arsenal board refused to confirm the identity of their next manager, but speculation grew that it would be Wenger once the club signed French midfielders
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Paul Vieira (; born 23 June 1976) is a French professional association football, football manager and former player who is the head coach of Serie A club Genoa CFC, Genoa. He was named in the FIFA 100 of the greatest living footballers i ...
and
Rémi Garde. On 22 September 1996, Wenger was unveiled as Arsenal manager, after Nagoya Grampus granted him his release. He officially assumed the role on 1 October 1996, becoming the first Frenchman to manage in the Premier League. At his first press conference, he told reporters: "The main reason for coming is that I love English football, the roots of the game are here. I like the spirit round the game and at Arsenal I like the spirit of the club and its potential."

Wenger's arrival at Arsenal was greeted with perplexity by some of the club's players, supporters and the local media. Although he was touted as a future technical director of
The Football Association
The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
(FA), he was relatively unknown in English football. Glenn Moore's report in ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', dated 24 September 1996, highlighted the mood: "It is a measure of the insularity of the English game that when Arsène Wenger's name emerged as Arsenal's favoured candidate for their vacant manager's job many supporters were asking: 'Arsène who?'" Unlike his predecessors, Wenger was given control over transfers, contracts and training sessions, and the Arsenal board chose not to meddle in team affairs. One of his first acts as manager was to assure the experienced players they had a future at the club, but he noted the squad was "a bit tight," and needed competition for places. Wenger adopted a hands-on approach to training sessions which energised the squad, and made steps to change the drinking culture that afflicted Arsenal. Although he initially allowed players to have a pint of beer, they were forbidden to drink on days off and in the players' lounge. He later banned his players from casually drinking together. Wenger also promoted pasta as the pre-match dish, encouraged boiled chicken instead of red meat and discouraged junk food. Players received optional vitamin injections and
Creatine
Creatine ( or ) is an organic compound with the nominal formula . It exists in various tautomers in solutions (among which are neutral form and various zwitterionic forms). Creatine is found in vertebrates, where it facilitates recycling of ...
, which reduced fatigue and improved their stamina.
Wenger's first match was a 2–0 away victory over
Blackburn Rovers on 12 October 1996, however, he did suggest "one or two changes" to Rice in Arsenal's UEFA Cup defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach on 24 September, nine days prior to taking charge of the club. The interference upset club captain
Tony Adams, who on his first meeting with the manager expressed his disappointment: "I said to him that he had put our entire season in jeopardy by doing what he had done." Wenger chose to take the criticism on board upon arrival, and made an effort listening to Adams' assessment of the club. This particular approach of management resonated with the other players, who were sceptical of his ideas at first. The English players often set up pranks on Wenger to relieve hostility and nicknamed him "Inspector Clouseau", due to his clumsy nature. Adams said his sense of humour helped build team spirit: "Not only does Wenger love a good laugh, but he can laugh at himself. He is this gangly wise man".
Malicious rumours concerning Wenger's private life surfaced during November 1996, to the extent that the City of London reported that his exit from Arsenal was imminent.
Having returned from a trip to Strasbourg to visit his parents, Wenger attended a press meeting and strongly refuted the claims: "If something comes out that is wrong, I will attack. It is a serious matter if you can just create things that are not right."
Arsenal's press officer
Clare Tomlinson, who was present at the news conference, recalled Wenger phoning the next day and demanding why he could not take action against the press for printing the story. The culprit responsible for spreading gossip in the City later apologised to Wenger. During this, Arsenal had led the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, but poor form in February 1997 caused Wenger to rule out his team's chances of winning the title. They finished third in his first season, missing out on
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
qualification to
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
on
goal difference
Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
– the
tiebreaker
In games and sport, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is any method used to determine a winner or to rank participants when there is a tie - meaning two or more parties have achieved a same score or result. A tiebreaker provides the additional criterion ...
used to determine the ranking between teams equal on points.
1997–2001: Early success
In preparation for the
forthcoming season, Wenger took the Arsenal squad to Austria, which would become the club's usual pre-season base. The players were given a night out as a reward for vigorous training, which midfielder
Ray Parlour revealed was spent at a local pub with the other English players, while the "French lads" headed to the coffee shop and smoked.
"How are we going to win the league this year? We're all drunk and they're all smoking," he recollected.
Wenger continued to fine-tune the squad during this period. Having vetoed
John Hartson
John Hartson (born 5 April 1975) is a Welsh former professional footballer, coach and sports television pundit for S4C, Sky Sports, Premier Sports TV and TNT Sports.
As a player he was a striker, notably for Scottish club Celtic where his ti ...
's move to
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
in February 1997, he convinced French teenager
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly featur ...
to join Arsenal. He raided his old club Monaco to acquire the services of
Christopher Wreh,
Gilles Grimandi and
Emmanuel Petit. The latter two were defenders, but Wenger thought both were capable of playing in midfield. To address the shortcomings of playing expansive football, winger
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars (; born 29 March 1973) is a Dutch former professional association football, footballer and former director of football at Belgian First Division A, Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp F.C. He was previously director of football a ...
was purchased from
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
, while
Paul Merson moved to
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
. Wenger assessed Arsenal lost the Premier League because of their poor home performances, and felt they needed more pace and power.
Arsenal began the 1997–98 season well, but struggled in November; though they beat
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
at Highbury without the suspended
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (; born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch professional Association football, football coach and former Football player, player who was most recently the Assistant manager of Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was ...
. This was their only league win throughout the month. Defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers left the club in sixth position before Christmas and seemingly out of contention for the title. Striker
Ian Wright was booed off by supporters over his performance, which he responded to by criticising the crowd from the dressing room window. Wenger called for an urgent team meeting, where "home truths were spoken, fingers pointed, players were geed up." The squad dictated how the conversation went, which the senior defenders made it clear they wanted Vieira and Petit to provide cover.

Such was the likelihood of Manchester United going on to retain the title,
bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds
In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outco ...
Fred Done paid out on punters with two months of the season left. Arsenal steadily closed the gap, however, and victory against
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* W ...
in March 1998 set up a title clash between themselves and the reigning champions. Wenger in the lead up to the game maintained it was possible for Arsenal to win the league, stating "two or three weeks ago, the title was just a dream for us and people laughed when I said we could still do it". He suggested Manchester United were responsible for making the title race "interesting". At
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
, Overmars scored the decisive goal to give Arsenal a 1–0 win. The victory was followed by nine consecutive league wins, the last of which was a home fixture against
Everton that secured Arsenal's status as champions. Wenger became the first foreign manager to win the
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
, when his team beat Newcastle United in the
1998 FA Cup Final.
Wenger sanctioned Wright's transfer to West Ham in the summer and made Anelka his first-choice striker ahead of the
1998–99 season. His decision not to bolster Arsenal's attack, coupled with Bergkamp's fear of flying, meant the club entered the Champions League with just one recognised striker. Their time in the competition was brief, making an exit at the group stage, with their domestic form being indifferent. Needing to strengthen their attacking options, Arsenal signed
Nwankwo Kanu in January 1999, and his presence reinvigorated the team as they embarked on a run similar to last season. They finished second behind Manchester United however, losing their slender advantage once they lost their penultimate match. United also eliminated Arsenal in a
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
semi-final replay after extra time; Wenger afterwards said: "it was a smashing game, and in the end, the luckiest won." In August 1999, Anelka joined
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, having threatened to strike if Arsenal did not grant him a move abroad. Wenger used a portion of the proceeds generated through the Anelka sale to fund the build of the
Arsenal Training Centre, expressing his desire to establish a "home away from Arsenal". He renewed his forward line by signing
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker (; born 1 January 1968) is a Croatian Association football, football administrator and former professional player who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He served as the president of the Croatian Football Federatio ...
from Real Madrid, and
Thierry Henry, who joined after seven "injury-interrupted" months at
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
for £11.5 million. It was Wenger's intention to partner Anelka with Henry, but the former's departure meant the plan was scrapped.
The following seasons were comparatively barren. Arsenal again exited the Champions League at the group stage, but dropped down to the UEFA Cup. Wenger guided his team to the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, where they lost to
Galatasaray on
penalties. In the league, Arsenal finished 18 points behind Manchester United as runners-up, and though they closed the gap to eight points in
2000–01, they never posed a serious title challenge. The trophy drought continued past 2001, when
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, Newcastle United ...
scored two late goals for
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
to beat Arsenal in the
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official attendance of 89,472 ...
. Wenger rued his team's inability to make possession count, but refused to blame individuals, namely Henry, for missing chances.
2001–2006: Second double, ''Invincibles'', and leaving Highbury
The cup defeat prompted Wenger to make changes to his squad. He signed young England internationals
Richard Wright and
Francis Jeffers, midfielder
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan "Gio" van Bronckhorst (born 5 February 1975) is a Dutch Association football, football manager and former player who last managed Süper Lig club Beşiktaş J.K., Beşiktaş. Originally a midfielder, he moved to left-back lat ...
from
Rangers as a partner for Vieira, and convinced defender
Sol Campbell to join from
local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. Campbell's arrival strengthened a defence which was going through a transition phase from 1999 and 2001;
Steve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould (born 16 November 1962) is an English football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a defender from 1980 until 2000. Bould began his football career with his hometown club Stoke City where he g ...
and
Nigel Winterburn moved on in this period, club graduate
Ashley Cole displaced
Sylvinho
Sylvio Mendes Campos Júnior (born 12 April 1974), commonly known as Sylvinho (sometimes alternatively spelled Silvinho), is a Brazilian football manager and former player, who coaches the Albania national football team.
Formerly a left-back, ...
as Wenger's first choice left back, while
Lauren
Lauren is mostly a feminine given name. The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurent ...
acted as
Lee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964) is an English pundit and retired professional footballer who played as a right-back. Dixon was also capped 22 times for England.
His father Roy was a goalkeeper with Manchester City and many of Dixon's f ...
's understudy. Midfielders
Freddie Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg ( ; born 16 April 1977) is a Swedish former professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. He is also a former Manager (association football), manager, and was most recent ...
and
Robert Pires – brought in during preceding transfer windows, had now established themselves into the first team. The
2001–02 season brought much success as Wenger led Arsenal to the double once more.
The crowning moment was the win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the penultimate game of the season.
Sylvain Wiltord
Sylvain Claude Wiltord (born 10 May 1974) is a French former professional footballer. Mainly a right winger, he also played as a centre-forward, second striker and on the left wing.
Wiltord had a four-season spell at Arsenal, with whom he w ...
scored the winning goal to secure the club's 12th league championship and third double; four days earlier, Arsenal beat
Chelsea 2–0 in the
2002 FA Cup Final. The team scored in every single league fixture and were unbeaten away from home that season.

Wenger appointed Vieira as club captain following Adams' retirement, and made few additions to his double-winning squad, signing defender
Pascal Cygan, midfielder
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (; born 7 October 1976) is a Brazilian former professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder, most notably for Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro a ...
and utility player
Kolo Touré
Kolo Abib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is an Ivorian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. He most recently managed then-Championship club Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Athletic.
Beginning his career as a ...
. He was confident his side would retain the league and told the media: "Nobody will finish above us in the league. It wouldn't surprise me if we were to go unbeaten for the whole of the season". Arsenal set a new top-flight record in their opening game of the
2002–03 season; a 2–0 victory against
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
was their 14th league win in succession. They continued their fine start by overhauling
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
's top-flight record of 22 away league matches without defeat and later surpassed Manchester United's Premier League total of 29 matches unbeaten. Arsenal lost to Everton in October 2002, which began a run of four matches without a win. Though Wenger's team built an eight-point lead over challengers Manchester United by March 2003, they were overhauled in the final weeks of the season.
The title race shifted in United's favour when
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
came from behind to draw 2–2 against Arsenal.
Wenger showed moments of exasperation during the match by loosening his tie and bellowing orders from the touchline. Journalist
Phil McNulty wrote that Wenger's demeanor "spoke of someone who had the title in his grasp but now saw it slipping from his fingers". Arsenal beat
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
1–0 to retain the FA Cup at the end of the campaign.
During pre-season, Wenger arranged a meeting with the players to examine why they lost the league.
Martin Keown
Martin Raymond Keown ( ; born 24 July 1966) is an English football pundit and former professional footballer. A defender, he played from 1984 to 2005, notably in the Premier League for Arsenal, where he made over 400 appearances for the club an ...
felt the manager harmed their chances by boasting they could go the season unbeaten. "Look, I said that because I think you can do it. But you must really want it," was Wenger's reply, as he believed the squad had the right mixture of technique, intelligence and physique. Arsenal did little transfer business given the financial demands that came with their
new stadium project; their only major signing was
Jens Lehmann, who replaced
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country ...
as goalkeeper. Wenger retained his best players, despite interest shown by Chelsea's new owner
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (born 24 October 1966) is a business oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, a Premier League football club in London, England, and is the primary owner of the private investment com ...
. Six games into the
league season, Arsenal were involved in a brawl against Manchester United; the ill-feeling stemmed from Vieira's dismissal late on. Several players were charged and fined accordingly by the FA and Wenger apologised for his team's over-reaction. The team restored their image with an entertaining performance against Newcastle;
Henry Winter
Henry Winter (born 18 February 1963) is an English sports journalist. He currently writes for '' World Soccer'', having previously been the Chief Football Writer for ''The Times'' and a Football Correspondent for ''The Daily Telegraph''.
Ed ...
in his match report wrote: "Henry's opening goal encapsulated all that is good about Arsenal, the slick passing and intelligent movement." Wenger led his side to league triumph without a single defeat – an accomplishment last achieved by
Preston North End 115 years before, in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
. "Somebody threw me a T-shirt after the trophy was presented which read 'Comical Wenger says we can go the whole season unbeaten.' I was just a season too early!," he remarked during the club's victory parade.
Arsenal's run of 49 league games unbeaten came to an end with a 2–0 defeat at Manchester United on 24 October 2004. The team under Wenger's management enjoyed another relatively strong league campaign in
2004–05, but finished second to Chelsea, who ended the season 12 points in front.
Consolation again came in the FA Cup; Arsenal defeated Manchester United on penalties, after a goalless
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. The emergence of
Cesc Fàbregas in the starting line-up prompted Wenger to sell Vieira to Juventus in July 2005.
He noticed the two as a midfield pairing was ineffective, and felt keeping Fàbregas would benefit the club's future.
The
2005–06 season marked the beginning of a transitional period for Arsenal as it was the club's final season at Highbury. The team finished fourth in the Premier League and outside the top two for the first time under Wenger's tenure. In the Champions League, Wenger assembled an inexperienced defence that reached the final, beating Real Madrid, Juventus and
Villarreal and conceding no goals in the knockout stages. In the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
against Barcelona in May 2006, Arsenal took an early lead but ultimately lost the match 2–1. The defeat also made Wenger the only manager to have been a losing finalist in each of
UEFA's three main club competitions, having previously lost the UEFA Cup final with Arsenal in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and the Cup Winners' Cup final with Monaco in
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
.
2006–2011: Stadium move and transition
In the summer of 2006, Wenger oversaw Arsenal's relocation to the Emirates Stadium. During the construction phase, he described the move as "vital" to the club's financial future and believed Arsenal were better able to attract the best players. Moving to the new stadium, however, presented several problems in the short term, as the club prioritised financing it over the team. Wenger sold some of his experienced players such as Campbell, Lauren and Pires, sanctioned Cole's move to Chelsea in part exchange for defender
William Gallas, and integrated young players like
Theo Walcott and
Alex Song into the first team. His youthful team contested the
League Cup final in February 2007 and were the youngest to play in a major English cup final, averaging 21 years. They ultimately came up short against Chelsea, who won the match 2–1. Arsenal finished fourth in the
2006–07 league season; Wenger had ruled out their title chances following defeat to Bolton in November 2006. The team's lack of directness and efficiency of possession was a familiar theme during the campaign; ''Guardian'' journalist
Daniel Taylor observed two matches into the league season: "The most watchable side are frequently the most frustrating. Arsenal are wonderfully incisive yet infuriatingly blunt."
In April 2007, Dein left Arsenal due to "irreconcilable differences" about the future of the club. Wenger described it as a "sad day for Arsenal," and sought assurances from the board over his future as well as reasons for Dein's departure. The instability at board level influenced club captain Henry's decision to leave Arsenal in June 2007, which led to uncertainty over Wenger's position. In September 2007, Wenger signed a new three-year extension, stating that he remained committed to "the club of my life." (In 2021, Wenger revealed that his signing of the contract extension was his side of a deal with the Arsenal board in the building of the new stadium, because he requested its construction.) Arsenal flourished in Henry's absence, with
Emmanuel Adebayor,
Mathieu Flamini and Fàbregas playing a more prominent role in the
2007–08 season. Defeat to Middlesbrough in December 2007 ended a run of 22 league matches unbeaten, but Arsenal soon built a five-point lead over Manchester United.
A career-threatening injury to striker
Eduardo against Birmingham City on 23 February 2008 acted as a turning point in Arsenal's season. Wenger, incensed at the aggressive tactics of opponents, called for a ban on tackler
Martin Taylor in his post-match interview; he later retracted the comment. Arsenal's form subsequently suffered, and a run of three consecutive draws in March allowed Manchester United and Chelsea to overhaul them as they finished the season in third.
Arsenal made a troubled start to Wenger's
twelfth season. The club relieved Gallas of his captaincy, after he openly questioned his teammates, and Wenger appointed Fàbregas as his successor. Arsenal secured fourth position in the league and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, but it was a fourth season without silverware. Wenger was subject to criticism from Arsenal fans; he praised the travelling supporters, though referred to a section of the home crowd as treating him "like a murderer". Arsenal finished third in the league in
2009–10 and the team were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Barcelona. Wenger had reached a landmark in October 2009, surpassing
George Allison to become Arsenal's longest-serving manager.
In August 2010, Wenger signed a further three-year contract to continue his managerial career at Arsenal. His team were on course for a quadruple trophy haul in
2010–11, before defeat to Birmingham City in the
2011 Football League Cup Final, when a mix-up between goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczęsny and defender
Laurent Koscielny allowed
Obafemi Martins to score the winning goal. This was followed by a run of just two wins in eleven Premier League games, to take them from title contenders to a fourth-place finish. Arsenal then made exits in the FA Cup and the Champions League to Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively.
2011–2018: Rebuilding, return of trophies, and departure
Wenger's preparations for the
2011–12 season were disrupted by player unrest. Though he insisted none of his top players would leave the club, Fàbregas eventually moved to Barcelona, while
Gaël Clichy and
Samir Nasri joined Manchester City.
Suspensions and injuries left Wenger fielding an understrength side against Manchester United on 29 August 2011; Arsenal were trounced 8–2, which represented their worst defeat in 115 years. Needing to address the squad's lack of depth, Wenger completed a series of deals in the final days of the summer transfer window.
He mostly brought in experienced players, such as
Yossi Benayoun on loan from Chelsea, Everton's
Mikel Arteta and Germany international
Per Mertesacker. By October, Arsenal had made their worst start to a season in 58 years, losing four of their opening seven matches. However, the team soon harmonised and, in the same month, club captain
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional association football, footballer who is the head coach of Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and was ...
scored a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Chelsea 5–3. Despite another season of no silverware, Wenger guided Arsenal to third position in the Premier League, thus qualifying for the Champions League for a 15th successive campaign. Van Persie had scored 37 goals, in his first injury-free season for the club. He, however, grew disillusioned with Arsenal's transfer policy, and decided not to renew his contract, with one year remaining. When Manchester United manager
Sir Alex Ferguson learnt of the situation, he called Wenger to push through a deal and Van Persie agreed to join Manchester United in August 2012. The club purchased strikers
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Jonathan Giroud (; born 30 September 1986) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
Giroud began his senior club career ...
and
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski (; born Łukasz Józef Podolski, , 4 June 1985) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward or attacking midfielder for Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze. He is kno ...
in anticipation of the sale.
The
2012–13 season was Wenger's first without Rice, who retired in late spring.
Bould was named as his replacement, who specialised in defensive work.
Arsenal struggled to find consistency in the league and were 12 points behind leaders Manchester United by November 2012. A month later, Wenger came under strong criticism following his side's exit in the League Cup to
Bradford City, when a full-strength team lost on penalties to opposition three divisions below. Further cup defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Bayern Munich in the FA Cup and Champions League, respectively, ended Arsenal's trophy chances for an eighth consecutive season. Before the first leg, Wenger had criticised the media for reporting he was about to sign a contract extension, and said of the Blackburn game: "We lost it in the last 20 minutes, so there are a lot of superficial analyses that you cannot accept. Because one guy says something, everybody goes the same way".
Arsenal's aim of finishing in the top four appeared to be a difficult task by March, after defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
With ten league matches remaining, they were seven points behind their rivals, and Wenger said his side could not afford any more dropped points.
He made changes to the side for their second leg against Bayern, dropping captain
Thomas Vermaelen and Szczęsny, in place of Koscielny and
Łukasz Fabiański
Łukasz Marek Fabiański (born 18 April 1985) is a Polish professional association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club West Ham United F.C., West Ham United. He will become a free agent on ...
.
Though Arsenal were eliminated on the away goals rule, Wenger's adjustments worked in the league as his team went on a run to overhaul Tottenham for a second successive season.
A win on the final day against Newcastle United secured fourth position, which Wenger described as a "relief".
Arsenal opened the
2013–14 season with a home defeat to
Aston Villa, which prompted boos from the supporters.
The club's transfer inactivity over the summer was criticised, but Wenger assessed: "We could have won the game today with the players on the pitch, I'm convinced of that."
In the final week of the transfer window, he re-signed Flamini and sanctioned the club record signing of
Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely re ...
from Real Madrid, totalling £42.5 million. Wenger was instrumental in the latter deal; he phoned and spoke to the German in his native language, convincing him that a move to England would enhance his career. Arsenal's form thereafter improved and
Aaron Ramsey's goalscoring spree elevated the team to first position by the New Year. Poor performances in the big games, however, blighted Arsenal's title credentials, with a 6–0 loss to Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge being described as "a good hiding
syou don't prepare all week to experience that." The defeat marked Wenger's 1,000th match in charge of Arsenal. Arsenal consolidated fourth position in the league, and Wenger guided his team to FA Cup success, as they came from two goals down to beat
Hull City in the final, and clinch Arsenal their first trophy in nine years. At the end of the season, Wenger signed another three-year extension to his Arsenal contract. He strengthened the squad by signing
Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona in July 2014, who started in the
2014 FA Community Shield that Arsenal won by beating
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
3–0, and during the course of
2014–15, Wenger promoted
Francis Coquelin
Francis Joseph Coquelin (; born 13 May 1991) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club FC Nantes, Nantes. He has also featured for Valencia CF, Valencia, Arsenal F.C., Arsenal, ...
and
Héctor Bellerín into the first team. Wenger won his sixth FA Cup in May 2015, which placed him alongside
George Ramsay as the most successful manager in the competition's history. Wenger guided the club to an improved third place in the league that season, and the club saw further improvement in the
2015–16 season as they finished as league runners-up, while retaining the FA Community Shield by defeating Chelsea
1–0.
Arsenal financed moves for
Granit Xhaka and
Shkodran Mustafi in mid-2016 for a combined £65 million, rendering the pair one of Arsenal's most expensive ever signings, as Wenger hoped to guide the club to their first league title win in over thirteen years
the following season.
Although Arsenal began strongly in the league, losing only once until December, back-to-back defeats to Everton and Manchester City resulted in Arsenal losing their stronghold on the league. Wenger also served a four-match touchline ban and had to pay a £25,000 fine after pushing referee
Anthony Taylor during a win at home against
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
. Further defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool all but rendered Arsenal out of the title race, and left qualification to the Champions League threatened by March. On 30 April, Arsenal lost to main rivals Tottenham which had confirmed the latter had finished above them in the Premier League for the first time since the
1994–95 FA Premier League season. The following month also saw them fail to finish in the top four since the
1996–97 FA Premier League season. On 27 May, Wenger became the most successful manager in the history of the FA Cup as Arsenal beat Premier League winners Chelsea 2–1 at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
through goals from Alexis Sánchez and Aaron Ramsey. The victory represented a further record for Wenger, as Arsenal too, became the most successful club in the competition's history as they won the competition for the 13th time. Four days following the win, Wenger signed a contract extension until 2019.
In mid-2017, Wenger brought in two signings;
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Armand Lacazette (; born 28 May 1991) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. He p ...
for a fee of £45m, the club's most expensive signing, and
Sead Kolašinac on a free transfer from
Schalke 04. On 6 August, Wenger won his seventh
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
as manager as Arsenal beat Chelsea 4–1 on penalties following a 1–1 score at full time. However, in the
2017–18 FA Cup, Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup, and again stood well outside the top four in the Premier League. The club also dealt with player unrest in the form of Sánchez, who voiced his desire to depart, and Wenger sanctioned a transfer to Manchester United in January 2018, whereby Arsenal received
Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a swap-deal. Later that month, he signed
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang (born 18 June 1989) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah FC, Al-Qadsiah and Captain (associat ...
for a club-record fee of £56 million. However, these additions did not aid Arsenal's performances as a team, and on 20 April, Wenger announced he would step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the
2017–18 season. His final home game was a 5–0 win against Burnley on 6 May, where he received a standing ovation before the game and was gifted the gold mini-replica Premier League trophy he won during the 2003–04
''Invincibles'' season as a departing gift from Arsenal. He officially concluded his tenure with a 1–0 away win against
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football.
Huddersfield Town we ...
. Wenger later revealed that he wanted to stay at the club until the expiration of his contract, but the club thought it better he leave, with the board informing him in January of their decision to end his contract at the end of the season. He described the hostility he faced from the board and fans as "unjustified" and his exit as "very hard" and "very brutal".
Career after management
From November 2019, Wenger became
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
's Chief of Global Football Development,
a role in which he is responsible for overseeing and driving the growth and development of the sport. He also takes senior authority as a member of the Football and Technical Advisory Panels involved in
IFAB review giving judgement on rule changes mandated by FIFA.
In this role, Wenger was also inducted chairman of FIFA's executive team which conducts technical analysis of official FIFA tournaments and delivers feedback.
Following his departure from Arsenal, in a preview of his second book, he called the FIFA role "a new challenge".
In 2019, Wenger invested in sports technology company
Playermaker.
Approach and philosophy
Tactics
Wenger was inspired by Borussia Mönchengladbach as a child, and was later influenced by
Total Football, a playing style developed by
Rinus Michels
Marinus Jacobus Hendricus "Rinus" Michels (; 9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch Association football, football player and coach. He list of one-club men in association football, played his entire career for AFC Ajax, Ajax, which he ...
at Ajax in the 1970s. He recollected the team as having "perfect players everywhere and that was the sort of football I wanted to be playing myself".
At Monaco, he employed a
4–4–2 formation, though he did trial
4–3–3, akin to Michels'. Wenger is an advocate of 4–4–2 as "no other formation is as efficient in covering space", but used it sparingly in his final seasons.
Throughout his managerial career, Wenger has trusted his players to perform and learn from their own mistakes, a quality Vieira regards as his biggest strength and weakness. Wenger encourages sportsmen to show intuition, and makes observations rather than explicitly giving orders.
Campbell reflected that his former manager "puts a lot of onus on players to change the game" and "he wants certain players – especially in the last third – to be able to produce it and give something different". When Wenger joined Arsenal, he spoke of his desire to see "real, modern football. That means compact lines, of zones, of quick, coordinated movements with a good technique." He characteristically focuses on the strengths of his teams, rather than looking for areas to exploit the opposition.
During a match against Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1996, Wenger presided over Rice's caretaker duties at Arsenal, and ordered the team to switch from their preferred
3–5–2 formation to 4–4–2.
The tactical change did not have its desired effect, as Arsenal lost the game having led before Wenger's half-time instruction.
For much of the 1996–97 season, Arsenal continued to play 3–5–2 as it was the only formation the defenders were comfortable with, as well as injuries unsettling the side.
In Wenger's second season at the club, he reinstated 4–4–2 and focused on strengthening the front six, by signing wingers Overmars and
Luís Boa Morte and partnering Vieira with Petit.
According to
Jonathan Wilson, the system was similar to 4–3–3, as Overmars often pushed higher up the field and Parlour played alongside Vieira and Petit to solidify the midfield. Needing to compensate deficiencies in attack the following season, Wenger relied on his experienced defence to direct games, which conceded 17 goals in 38 league matches. From then on, Wenger deployed an unconventional 4–4–2 with a greater emphasis on attack and movement; his teams between 2001 and 2004 were dominant on the left flank.
By the 2005–06 season, clubs in England were increasingly in favour of using the
4–5–1 system. Wenger, having earlier suggested he would never resort to a negative system, later adopted the formation for Champions League matches.
The decision to pack the midfield and play a lone striker resulted in Arsenal reaching the final.
With Fábregas breaking into the first team, Wenger chose to deviate from their counter-attacking style, to a more possession based one. In 2009–10, he instituted a fluid 4–3–3 formation to benefit from Fàbregas' creativity, and since the player's departure, had remodelled the system to 4–1–4–1 and
4–2–3–1. During the latter half of the
2016–17 Premier League season, Wenger switched to a 3–4–3 formation, similar to
Antonio Conte's Chelsea first used against Middlesbrough in a 2–1 win.
Wenger proved able to implement his entertaining vision of football, particularly at Arsenal. His team's 5–1 win against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
in March 2004 was likened to "the magnificently fluid Ajax of the early 70s", and greeted with a standing ovation by the opposition supporters, as the Arsenal players left the field. Wenger's style of play, however, has been criticised for inefficiency and a lack of variation to go with technique. He is not renowned for making game-changing substitutions, nor had his tactics helped his teams overcome flexible opponents. His ideals are noticeably different from the pragmatic approach of his rivals, though he has assembled teams to produce disciplined performances, markedly the 2005 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Defeats in the big games during 2013–14 led to Wenger compromising his attack-minded principles in favour of keeping it tight. The team's approach had been less predictable than when it was built around Fàbregas, with the initial predictability allowing Sir Alex Ferguson to devise a template to beat Arsenal, which involved "good players who can intercept".
Preparation
Wenger led training sessions, but delegated responsibility to his coaching staff, who predominantly work with the players.
He split the squad into groups, observing and supervising the drills.
A typical training session under Wenger lasted 90 minutes, which was timed and staged precisely, and included co-ordination techniques, positional play and small-sided games.
Wenger spent the day before a match focusing on the mental and tactical approach of his squad and varied his training style.
Wenger regarded a well-balanced diet as an essential part of a player's preparation. He was influenced by his time in Japan, where "the whole way of life there is linked to health. Their diet is basically boiled vegetables, fish and rice. No fat, no sugar. You notice when you live there that there are no fat people".
At Arsenal, Wenger brought in dieticians to explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and acquired the help of Philippe Boixel, an
osteopath for the
France national team, to realign the players' bodies each month. Plyometrics, exercises designed to strengthen the muscles, were introduced and Wenger routinely made players stretch before and after matches. Until 2004, he encouraged his players to take Creatine for increased stamina, later stopping when he noticed side-effects. The innovations had a desirable effect on the team as it prolonged the careers of his defence,
and made Arsenal stronger in the second half of seasons. Though Wenger's methods were common in Italian football, they had been unsuccessfully trialled in England until his arrival.
In later years, Wenger's training regime has come under criticism, given his squad's poor injury record.
From 2004–05 to 2014–15, Arsenal's players lost 13,161 days through injury, the most in the Premier League, and significantly more than Chelsea in second (7,217).
In 2014, Wenger acquired the help of fitness coach Shad Forsythe to solve the problem; statistics revealed a year later that Arsenal's average injury length dropped more than 25% in Forsythe's first season.
Recruitment and spending policy
Youth development and scouring for talent abroad is central to Wenger's recruitment policy. He relies on a network of scouts and personal contacts to find and attract talented footballers to play under him. Wenger's strategy is aided by data; for instance, the decision to sign Flamini in 2004 came about as he was looking at statistics to find an understudy to Vieira. To examine the mental state of a young footballer, he uses psychometric tests conducted by psychologist Jacques Crevoisier once every two years. Wenger prides himself on nurturing talent, saying in an interview: "I believe one of the best things about managing people is that we can influence lives in a positive way. That's basically what a manager is about. When I can do that, I am very happy".
In his early managerial years, Wenger recognised the potential of football in Africa, which influenced his transfer dealings at Monaco. On the recommendation of
Claude Le Roy, he signed Liberian George Weah, who later became the first African to be named
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award presented annually by the sport's governing body, FIFA, between 1991 and 2015 at the FIFA World Player Gala. Coaches and captains of international teams and media representative ...
. Weah, while receiving his award from FIFA president
João Havelange
Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid "João" de Havelange (, ; 8 May 1916 – 16 August 2016) was a Brazilian lawyer, businessman, and athlete who was the seventh president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998. His tenure as president is the second longest in ...
and vice-president
Lennart Johansson
Nils Lennart Johansson (5 November 1929 – 4 June 2019) was a Swedish sports official who served as the fifth and, to date, longest-serving president of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations. He served in the position from his elec ...
invited Wenger up to the stage, spontaneously giving his medal to the manager, as a token of his appreciation. During his final years at Monaco, Wenger worked with
Roger Mendy, a Senegalese defender regarded in 1991 as one of the ten best African footballers by ''France Football'', and Nigerian
Victor Ikpeba
Victor Ikpeba Nosa (born 12 June 1973) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Ikpeba played 31 international matches and scored seven goals for Nigeria. He was a member of Super Eagles team to the FIFA World Cups i ...
, a forward who earnt the accolade of
African Player of the Year. Wenger also fast-tracked young players such as Petit and
Lilian Thuram
Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (; born 1 January 1972) is a French author, Philanthropy, philanthropist and former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), defender. Widely regarded as one of the g ...
, and handed debuts to Henry and
David Trezeguet
David Sergio Trezeguet (, ; born 15 October 1977) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker.
Trezeguet began his career in Argentina with Club Atlético Platense at ...
.
In England, Wenger has used his extensive knowledge of the European transfer market and rulings – particularly in his native France – to recruit players. His first purchase as Arsenal manager was Anelka from Paris Saint-Germain for £500,000, a deal which upset the French club as they received little remuneration. The player's subsequent sale to Real Madrid just two years later for £23.5 million highlighted Wenger's shrewdness in the transfer market. He remained in contact with Guillou's Abidjan-based academy, where he discovered future Arsenal players Touré and
Emmanuel Eboué, and successfully persuaded Fàbregas and Héctor Bellerín, amongst other
La Masia graduates, to leave Barcelona and join him. Wenger's recruitment of young players came under criticism from Bayern Munich chairman
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who protested it was tantamount to
child trafficking.
Wenger refuted the analogy and said, "Look at
Santa Cruz at Blackburn. Ask him what age he came to Bayern Munich. Then you have an answer for Rummenigge."
When Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium, Wenger prioritised investing in youth instead of purchasing experienced players. He described it as a way of creating an "identity" with Arsenal: "I felt it would be an interesting experiment to see players grow together with these qualities, and with a love for the club. It was an idealistic vision of the world of football." The departure of Dein, coupled with the saturation of the transfer market, meant Wenger struggled to recruit players as efficiently as before. The youth set-up did not replicate the success of the late 1990s and early 2000s, though Arsenal consistently finished fourth or higher in the league between 2006 and 2011. The club earnt a reputation of functioning as a "
feeder club
In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...
" to bigger teams, as Wenger struggled to keep hold of his best players. He described this period as "very sensitive" because of the financial restrictions that came with the stadium move. Since the 2011–12 season, Wenger has reverted to buying proven talent, and blended experience with youth in domestic cup competitions. Arsenal have benefited from increased revenue since the Emirates move, and negotiating new sponsorship deals has allowed Wenger to make marquee signings such as Özil, Sánchez, Granit Xhaka, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Observing Wenger's transfer policy in 2009, Sir Alex Ferguson commented that it lacked balance and needed defensive players to solidify the Arsenal team. The players Wenger recruits have often been criticised for their character and leadership capabilities; footballer
Joey Barton suggested it was because the manager discouraged them from commanding: "Sometimes you need someone to galvanise and that might be a shouter and bawler. It may not be Arsene's way, but I think they lack that." Wenger is perceived as frugal given his inactivity in transfer windows, but he has denied the stereotype: "Of course people say always to buy but you cannot make careers
nd you cannotbuy every time you have an injured player. You know I have the wrong reputation. I'm not scared to spend money. The job of a manager is not to spend as much money."
Relations with others
Wenger's relations with his fellow football managers and officials have not always been genial. In a joint-interview with ''The Times'' and ''Daily Mail'' in 2009, he explained that his reluctance to trust other managers had been mistaken for discourtesy: "There are managers I respect, and I respect what they do, but you cannot be completely friendly and open up."
He is well known for his rivalry with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson; beginning in 1997, the dispute reached its culmination in the "
Pizzagate" incident at Old Trafford in October 2004. After Manchester United ended Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten Premier League run after being awarded a late penalty, Cesc Fabregas threw a pizza at the opposition in the tunnel. Wenger accused United striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (; born 1 July 1976), commonly known as Ruud van Nistelrooy (), is a Dutch professional Association football, football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship club Leic ...
of being "a cheat" in a post-match television interview, and was reprimanded with a £15,000 fine by the Football Association. Both managers later agreed to tone down their words, in an attempt to defuse the rivalry. In his autobiography, Ferguson wrote that the events of "Pizzagate" had "scrambled Arsène's brain" and caused their relationship to break down for almost five years. By 2009, Wenger noted his rivalry with Ferguson had become "respectful" as Arsenal had ceased competing with Manchester United for major honours.
During October and November 2005, Wenger became embroiled in a war of words with Chelsea manager
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
. Mourinho accused Wenger of having an "unprofessional obsession" with Chelsea and labelled him a "
voyeur".
Mourinho was quoted as saying, "He's worried about us, he's always talking about us – it's
lwaysChelsea".
Wenger responded by pointing out he was only answering journalists' questions about Chelsea, and described Mourinho's attitude as "disrespectful". Mourinho later apologised and clarified that he regretted his "voyeur" comment; Wenger accepted the apology. In 2014, Mourinho reopened his feud with Wenger by calling him a "specialist in failure".
This was in response to Wenger's comments that Chelsea were favourites for the Premier League and managers did not want to take responsibility if they failed to win the title.
Wenger said Mourinho's comments were "silly and disrespectful" and had embarrassed Chelsea. When asked if he regretted his remark, Mourinho replied: "You have to ask him if he regrets the comments he made". In October 2014, during a Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea, Wenger was involved in a touchline spat with Mourinho. Wenger later apologised for his behaviour.
Wenger has directed his anger towards referees when decisions have not gone his team's way. In August 2000, he was charged with "alleged threatening behaviour and physical intimidation" towards fourth official
Paul Taylor, after Arsenal's 1–0 defeat at Sunderland on the opening day of the 2000–01 season. An FA disciplinary commission found Wenger guilty; he received a 12-match touchline ban and a fine of four weeks' salary. He successfully appealed the ban, but was reprimanded and fined £10,000 for his actions. Following the 2007 Football League Cup Final, he called a
linesman a liar, for stating Emmanuel Adebayor aimed a punch at Chelsea's
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of English club Coventry City. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, one of Chelsea's greates ...
. This led to an investigation by the FA, a fine of £2,500 and a warning.
In March 2011, Wenger was charged with improper conduct by UEFA, over comments made to referee
Massimo Busacca, after his team's defeat to Barcelona. He was fined €10,000 and suspended for one UEFA club competition match; however, the ban was later extended to a further two games, after Wenger was found guilty of communicating with Arsenal's bench while serving a touchline ban against
Udinese. A year later, Wenger was charged for post-match comments made about referee
Damir Skomina, in Arsenal's defeat to Milan in the Champions League.
He was fined £33,000 and handed a three-match touchline ban in the competition.
Plaudits and legacy

At Arsenal, Wenger has enjoyed a great deal of support and backing from the club board of directors, who demonstrated exceptional faith in the manager and his long-term vision. His arrival at the club prompted a change in their football style – once derided as "boring, boring Arsenal" for a lack of creativity, pundit
Alan Hansen described the 2004 team as "quite simply the most fluid, devastating team the British Isles has seen".
Brian Clough once quipped: "Arsenal caress a football the way I dreamed of caressing
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
".
Wenger himself reflected that his greatest legacy at Arsenal would be the style he implemented. Supporters regularly display banners such as "Arsène knows" and "In Arsène we trust" during home matches, though there became a growing number of protests against his management.
Dein described Wenger as the most important manager in the club's history: "Arsène's a miracle worker. He's revolutionised the club. He's turned players into world-class players. Since he has been here, we have seen football from another planet". Former
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
manager
Graham Taylor said of Wenger in 2002: "I believe his biggest contribution to football is getting across the idea that players have to prepare right and look after themselves". Wenger's loyalty towards
financial fair play and handling of Arsenal's debt since their stadium move has earnt him praise, not least from American baseball general manager
Billy Beane
William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and current Front office (sports), front office executive. He is currently senior advisor to owner John Fisher (baseball owner), John Fisher and ...
, who in particular lauded his transfer strategy. A survey in 2007 found Wenger was the only Premier League manager to have made a profit on transfers, and between 2004 and 2009, he made an average profit of £4.4 million per season on transfers, far more than any other club.
Though Wenger established Arsenal as UEFA Champions League regulars, he never won a
continental competition – he was a Champions League and UEFA Cup runner-up with Arsenal and a Cup Winners' Cup runner-up with Monaco – often considered a blemish on his managerial career. Writer Michael Calvin argues despite the European failings, Wenger should still be considered one of the greats in football: "
ehas been the best, most influential manager of the modern era. His job has involved managing change, and all the hypocrisy which comes with that. In a world where incoherence is routinely hailed as innovation, he has been a true visionary". Wenger's stubbornness to follow his idealistic vision of football was heavily criticised during his second decade at Arsenal. In 2016, Henry Winter reasoned the Frenchman's methods no longer gave him an advantage over others, and he needed to adapt or resign.
[ ] Winter also suggested the club was content with lucrative top-four finishes, and the manager needed tough individuals to challenge him.
Ferguson however expressed admiration in Wenger's consistency and obstinate nature: "He stays with what he believes in. And I think people who do that are outstanding coaches".
Wenger was awarded France's highest decoration, the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, in 2002. He was appointed an
Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the
2003 Birthday Honours for services to football.
At Arsenal's valedictory campaign at Highbury throughout the 2005–06 season, supporters showed appreciation by holding a "Wenger Day" as one of various themed matchdays. It was held on his 56th birthday, on 22 October 2005, in a league match against Manchester City. Wenger was inducted into the
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and man ...
in 2006, along with former England manager
Ron Greenwood.
Furthermore, a commissioned bronze bust of Wenger, similar to the earlier version of
Herbert Chapman, was unveiled as a tribute to him by the board of directors of Arsenal, at the club's
annual general meeting
An annual general meeting (AGM, also known as the annual meeting) is a meeting of the general membership of an organization.
These organizations include membership associations and companies with shareholders.
These meetings may be required ...
in October 2007. Wenger had an asteroid,
33179 Arsènewenger, named after him by astronomer
Ian P. Griffin, who states Arsenal as his favourite football club.
In May 2016, the
Stade Arsène Wenger was officially opened near Strasbourg, where Wenger was born. The stadium is the new home of USL Dippinheim and holds a capacity of 500 people. In July 2023, Arsenal unveiled an official statue of Wenger holding the "Invincible" Premier League trophy outside the Emirates Stadium, joining the likes of
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (; born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch professional Association football, football coach and former Football player, player who was most recently the Assistant manager of Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was ...
,
Tony Adams, and
Herbert Chapman to be commemorated in such a way outside the stadium.
Increase in worldwide players
Wenger was one of the first managers in English football to scout abroad for talent. His double-winning team of 1998 was described by editor
Jason Cowley as "a model of racial and multicultural integration. They were the first truly globalised team". Richard Jolly writing for ''
The National'' added that Wenger aided the Premier League's globalisation and "showed the merit of hiring foreign managers on the basis of their record abroad". Wenger himself felt he had changed attitudes towards foreign managers in England:
The continued influx of foreign players at Arsenal has, however, attracted criticism. In a league match against
Crystal Palace on 14 February 2005, Arsenal fielded a 16-man squad that featured no British players for the first time in the club's history. This prompted
Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive
Gordon Taylor to express it would begin "a worrying pattern for English football". A year later, manager
Alan Pardew commented that Arsenal's Champions League success was "not necessarily a triumph for British football". Wenger saw the issue of nationality as irrelevant and said, "When you represent a club, it's about values and qualities, not about passports". Other pundits including
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking (born 2 October 1948) is a former England national football team, England international Association football, footballer, manager, pundit and football administrator; he now works as director of football development in En ...
, the director of football development at the FA, have defended Wenger. Brooking has stated that a lack of English players in "one of England's most successful clubs" was more of a reflection on England's limited talent pool rather than on Wenger, an opinion shared by youth-team coach and former Liverpool player
Craig Johnston.
Several English players have started their careers at Arsenal under Wenger, such as
Ashley Cole,
David Bentley and
Matthew Upson
Matthew James Upson (born 18 April 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a centre back. Upson played for England national football team, England at full international level, including at the 2010 ...
, Wenger commented that an advantage of building his team around British players was the guarantee of stability.
Team indiscipline and fair play
In his early years at Arsenal, Wenger was scrutinised for the club's poor disciplinary record; Winter in 2003 described it as "little short of a crime-wave", while chairman
Peter Hill-Wood admitted the players' conduct was unacceptable. Between September 1996 and February 2014, the team received 100
red cards. Wenger has often tried to defend his players, involved in controversial incidents on the field, by saying that he has not seen the incident; this is an option he resorts to when there is no "rational explanation" to defend him, and that he has the player's best interests in mind. However, in both 2004 and 2005, Arsenal topped the Premier League's Fair Play League tables for sporting behaviour and finished second in 2006. Their record as one of the most sporting clubs in the division continued up to 2009, where the team featured in the top four of the Fair Play table. Wenger's team again topped the fair play table for the 2009–10 season.
In February 1999, Wenger offered
Sheffield United a replay of their FA Cup fifth round match immediately after the match had finished, due to the controversial circumstances in which it was won.
The decisive goal was scored by Overmars after Kanu failed to return the ball to the opposition; it was kicked into touch to allow Sheffield United's
Lee Morris to receive treatment for an injury. Arsenal went on to win the replayed match 2–1.
Personal life
Wenger was married to former basketball player Annie Brosterhous, with whom he has one daughter, Léa (born 1997). In 2010, Wenger appealed for privacy after a British newspaper alleged he had an affair with a French singer. Wenger said in a statement that he wished to deal with the matter privately. Wenger and Brosterhous legally separated in 2015.
As of 1999, Wenger spent his leisure time predominantly studying football matches; he once stated that he "watches games on most days", and holds an interest in politics.
As of 2003, Wenger resided in
Totteridge
Totteridge is a residential area and former village in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is a mixture of suburban development and open land (including some farmland) situated 8 miles (13 km) north north-west of Charing Cross. It ...
, London.
Wenger acted as a
football consultant for French television station
TF1
TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network.
TF1 is part ...
from 2004 to 2014, and has worked for
beIN Sports since 2016. Wenger was a world
brand ambassador
A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person paid by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the ...
for
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
sponsor
Castrol. As part of the arrangement, he conducted several training camps for international youth teams worldwide to provide input to the
Castrol Performance Index, FIFA's official ratings system.
He has authored a book on football management exclusively for the Japanese market, in English, published by Japan Broadcast Publishing (a subsidiary of
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
) in August 1997. The book highlights his managerial philosophy, ideals, and values, as well as his thoughts on Japanese football and the game as a whole.
Wenger is a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, and he attributes his outlook and values to his religious upbringing in Alsace.
He grew up speaking French and German, and studied English on a three-week course in Cambridge, learning Italian, and Spanish to help his career.
He also has a working knowledge of Japanese.
On 13 October 2020, Wenger's second book, ''My Life in Red & White: My Autobiography'', was published by W&N, translated from French.
Career statistics
Playing statistics
Managerial statistics
Honours
Player
Mutzig
*Coupe d'Alsace: 1971
Vauban
*Coupe d'Alsace: 1977
*
Division d'Honneur Alsace: 1977
RC Strasbourg
*
Division 1:
1978–79
*Coupe d'Alsace: 1980
Manager

Monaco
*Division 1:
1987–88
*
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
:
1990–91
Nagoya Grampus
*
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or Japan FA Cup, and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards, is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formatio ...
:
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
*
Japanese Super Cup:
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
Arsenal
*
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
:
1997–98,
2001–02,
2003–04
*
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
:
1997–98,
2001–02,
2002–03,
2004–05,
2013–14,
2014–15,
2016–17
*
FA Charity/Community Shield:
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
Individual
*
J. League Manager of the Year: 1995
*
Onze d'Or Coach of The Year: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
*
Premier League Manager of the Season: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
[
* LMA Manager of the Year: 2001–02, 2003–04
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2002, 2004
*London Football Awards – Outstanding Contribution to a London Club: 2015
* World Soccer Manager of the Year: 1998
* FWA Tribute Award: 2005
*]English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and man ...
: 2006
*France Football
''France Football'' is a French monthly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It is considered to be one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of its photographic reports, in-depth and exclus ...
Manager of the Year: 2008
* IFFHS World Coach of the Decade: 2001–2010
* Facebook FA Premier League Manager of the Year: 2014–15
*Premier League Manager of the Month
The Premier League Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League manager each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to ...
: March 1998, April 1998, October 2000, April 2002, September 2002, August 2003, February 2004, August 2004, September 2007, December 2007, February 2011, February 2012, September 2013, March 2015, October 2015[
*]France Football
''France Football'' is a French monthly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It is considered to be one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of its photographic reports, in-depth and exclus ...
32nd Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019
* World Soccer 36th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
* Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: 2019
* Premier League Hall of Fame: 2023
Orders
* Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2002
* Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
[
*Freedom of ]Islington
Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
: 2004
* Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption: 2018
* Officer of the Legion of Honour: 2019
See also
*List of English football championship winning managers
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* List of FA Cup winning managers
*List of longest managerial reigns in association football
The longest managerial reign in association football belongs to Englishman Jimmy Davies (football manager), Jimmy Davies who was manager of Waterloo Dock A.F.C., Waterloo Dock for 50 years. Second to this, Fred Everiss was manager of English F ...
* List of Arsenal F.C. managers
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Arsène Wenger profile
at Arsenal.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wenger, Arsene
1949 births
Living people
People from Alsace
French Roman Catholics
Footballers from Strasbourg
French men's footballers
Men's association football sweepers
AS Mutzig players
FC Mulhouse players
AS Pierrots Vauban Strasbourg players
RC Strasbourg Alsace players
Championnat de France Amateur (1935–1971) players
French Division 3 (1971–1993) players
Ligue 2 players
Division d'Honneur players
Ligue 1 players
French football managers
AS Nancy Lorraine managers
AS Monaco FC managers
Nagoya Grampus managers
Arsenal F.C. managers
Ligue 1 managers
J1 League managers
Premier League managers
English Football Hall of Fame inductees
French expatriate football managers
French expatriate sportspeople in Japan
French expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate football managers in Japan
Expatriate football managers in England
Expatriate football managers in Monaco
French expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
University of Strasbourg alumni
Knights of the Legion of Honour
Officers of the Legion of Honour
Association football people awarded knighthoods
Honorary officers of the Order of the British Empire
FIFA officials
Premier League Hall of Fame inductees
20th-century French sportsmen