After 22 trophy-laden years as the gaffer of Arsenal Football Club, Frenchman Arsene Wenger will end his reign at the end of the season.
Arsenal made the surprise announcement on Friday morning and after Wenger had informed the squad of his decision during training before their home match against West Ham on Sunday.
Wenger signed a fresh two-year contract extension last summer and while there was speculation the 68-year-old would leave halfway through that deal, few thought confirmation of that would arrive before the conclusion of the current campaign, especially with a Europa League semi-final against Atlético Madrid to come.
“After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season,” said Wenger in a statement posted on Arsenal’s website. “I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years.
“I managed the club with full commitment and integrity. I want to thank the staff, the players, the directors and the fans who make this club so special. I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high. To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club. My love and support for ever.”
Wenger was born in Strasbourg on 22 October 1949 and raised in Duttlenheim. He 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 which culminated in his dismissal in 1987, Wenger joined AS Monaco; the club won the league championship in 1988. In 1991, Wenger guided Monaco to victory in the Coupe de France, but their failure to regain the league title in later seasons led to his departure from the club by mutual consent in 1994. He briefly coached Japanese J.League side Nagoya Grampus Eight, which won the Emperor’s Cup and Japanese Super Cup during his stint.
In 1996, Wenger was named manager of Arsenal and two years later the club completed a league and FA Cup double. The club won another league and cup double in 2002 and retained the FA Cup a year later. In 2004, Wenger managed Arsenal to an undefeated league season, a feat last accomplished by Preston North End, 115 years previously. Arsenal later eclipsed Nottingham Forest’s record of 42 league matches unbeaten and went seven more matches before losing in October 2004. The club made their first appearance in a Champions League final in 2006, though they lost to Barcelona. After a period of nine years without a trophy, which coincided with the club relocating to the Emirates Stadium, Wenger guided Arsenal to further FA Cup success in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
The nickname “Le Professeur” (French: usually translated as “The Teacher”) is used by fans and the British media to reflect Wenger’s studious demeanour.
Wenger was married to former basketball player Annie Brosterhous, with whom he has one daughter, Léa (born 1997). Wenger and Brosterhous separated in 2015. He acted as a football consultant for French television station TF1 from 2004 to 2014 and has worked for beIN Sports since 2016. Wenger is a world brand ambassador for FIFA World Cup sponsor Castrol. He has authored a book on football management exclusively for the Japanese market, Shōsha no Esupuri (The Spirit of Conquest) in English, published by Japan Broadcast Publishing.
Wenger is a Roman Catholic, and he attributes his outlook and values to his religious upbringing. He speaks French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.
Managerial honours
Monaco
Nagoya Grampus
- Emperor’s Cup: 1995
- J-League Super Cup: 1996
Arsenal
- FA Premier League(3): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
- FA Cup(7): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
- FA Community Shield(7): 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017
Individual
- League Manager of the Year: 1995
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 2003
- Onze d’Or Coach of The Year: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Legion d’Honneur: 2002.
- Premier League Manager of the Season: 1998, 2002, 2004
- 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 Manager of the Year: 1998
- Freedom of Islington: 2004
- FWA Tribute Award: 2005
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2006
- France Football: Manager of the Year – 2008
- IFFHS World Coach of the Decade: 2001–2010
- Facebook FA Premier League Manager of the Year: 2014–15
