Arsene Wenger says that English clubs have gone to a “different dimension” since his arrival in the Premier League.
The Arsenal manager will start his 20th season in this country on Sunday when the Gunners take on Chelsea in the Community Shield.
Wenger is proud of what he has achieved in his time in England and says the game has undergone a radical transformation.
"There is a mixture in England that is absolutely special. It’s this respect for tradition that makes you feel as though the game was created here"
“I have learnt to love English football,” he said. “I was always impressed by it [before] but I think I’ve learnt the culture of the country much better and the culture of Arsenal Football Club.
“There is a mixture in England that is absolutely special. It’s this respect for tradition that makes you feel as though the game was created here.
“The Premier League has always moved forward and Arsenal has as well. There’s that mixture that is right in England and I hope we can keep that.
“The competitiveness of the league has become much stronger in the last 20 years,” he added. “The change of structures inside the club has unbelievably changed, and the interest of the media and popularity of the sport has grown so much.
“On the other hand, the clubs have taken a different dimension. When I arrived Arsenal Football Club was 80 people. Today it’s 537. That tells you how much football has changed and that is tremendous. Hopefully in 20 years we will be 2,500.”
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