Arsene Wenger was in expansive mood with the media on Friday as he discussed his 20 years in charge of Arsenal.
He arrived at the club as a relative unknown and started work on October 1, 1996. But what the reaction like to him? He reveals all below:
on the club taking a gamble…
It was a big gamble because I was one of the first foreign managers who came to England. I think before me you had Venglos, who had not worked out at Aston Villa. So there was a belief that a foreign manager could not work in England. So at that time I would never have imagined 20 years later I would still be here.
on the reaction in England…
There was a resistance,of course. There was a belief that a foreign manager could never win a championship in England.
on whether there was any inside the club…
Maybe from some players, but I can understand that. When I arrived here Arsenal was a very traditional club. When I first came here on January 1st, 1989, the women were still in different rooms to the men. The wives of the directors were in a separate room. That was really a traditional club. To be brave like they were to take a foreign manager who was unknown on top of that, was of course a massive gamble. It made it hard because the scepticism was higher. You had to convince people that you know what you talk about. And I still have to do the same today.
on whether he has changed English football…
I don’t know. I was happy to have an opportunity to show I could do well in England and after that you stick to your ideas and if it works or doesn’t work you accept that. I think it’s always good to have a mixture between local people and foreign people because it brings new ideas.
on whether he wants to go out on a high…
I am not obsessed by that. Would Sir Alex Ferguson have not have gone out on a high after the history? Time makes a difference with what the guy has done. He would still be the same great manager had he not gone out on a high. You don’t just keep the last year.
on what factors will affect his decision…
One of the factors is that the club and supporters still want me and I still want to stay. What will make me want to stay is that I feel I can give more to the club. People know that if things go well my priority is this club. After I have to accept as well that if things don’t go well maybe I do something else.
More polls and quizzes to follow soon
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