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Arsène Wenger

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File:Arsene Wenger 291005.jpg
Arsène Wenger
October 29, 2005: Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal
© http://soccer-europe.com

Arsène Wenger, OBE (b. October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager. He is currently the manager of English Premiership club Arsenal.

Biography

Wenger's playing career was relatively inauspicious. He began playing amateur football as a defender or sweeper for various minor French clubs, while at the same time studying at the University of Strasbourg, where he completed a master's degree in Economics in 1974. Wenger turned professional in 1978, signing for RC Strasbourg, and making his debut against Monaco. Although Strasbourg won the French league in 1979, Wenger did not feature prominently in the team, playing only three times. In 1981, he obtained a manager's diploma and was appointed the coach of the Strasbourg youth team.

After an unsuccessful spell at Nancy, where the club were relegated, Wenger's managerial career took off when he became the manager of AS Monaco in 1987. He was initially successful with the club, winning the league in 1988 and the French Cup in 1991, and signing high-calibre players such as Glenn Hoddle and Jürgen Klinsmann. However, he was sacked in 1994 after Monaco finished ninth in the league. Wenger moved on to a successful 18-month stint with the Japanese J. League team Nagoya Grampus Eight.

On September 28, 1996, Wenger joined Arsenal, succeeding the sacked Bruce Rioch. Wenger was a relative unknown in England (though he had been previously been touted as a potential Technical Director of the Football Association), but quickly led the club to success. In his second season in charge, Arsenal won both the Premiership and FA Cup (the first of two doubles, the second coming in 2002). In addition, Wenger's Arsenal have won two additional FA Cups (in 2003 and 2005), and the Premiership title in 2004 without losing a single match, the first team to manage this feat since the League's inaugural season in 1888/89; a year earlier Wenger had been derided for saying he was "still hopeful Arsenal can go through the season unbeaten". In all, Arsenal have won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups under Wenger, and have not finished outside the top two since 1998. However, the Champions League still eludes him.

Wenger has a reputation as a shrewd talent scout and developer of young players' skills. In his time at Arsenal, Wenger has signed players such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès and Patrick Vieira and transformed them into world class players. According to Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal chairman, "Arsene's basically spent, since he's been with us, £4m to £5m a year net," which compares favourably with the large spend of other leading Premiership clubs. A noted example of this ability was the purchase of Nicolas Anelka from Paris St Germain for only £500,000, and his subsequent sale to Real Madrid just two years later for £22.3m.

As well as bringing in new players and tactics, Wenger has also reformed the training and dietary regimes, ridding the club of its drinking culture, and has had a direct input to the design of the Gunners' new Emirates Stadium and its move to a new training ground at London Colney. David Dein, the vice-chairman of Arsenal, has described Wenger as the most important manager in the club's history; without the increased TV revenue and prize money (especially from the Champions League) that Arsenal have accrued thanks to Wenger's successes, it is unlikely that spending on the new stadium would have been possible. Wenger, dubbed 'The Professor', represents the educated generation of managers, and is now Arsenal's most successful manager.

Controversies

Wenger's demeanour is normally mild and unaggressive but occasionally his temper has got the better of him. On October 10 2000, he received a fine and a 12-match touchline ban from the FA for "threatening behaviour and physical intimidation" to a match official during Arsenal's defeat at Sunderland earlier that year; the ban was later overturned on appeal. He is also well known for his rivalry with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. This rivalry culminated in the infamous "Pizzagate" incident at Old Trafford in October 2004 after a 2-0 defeat for his side, in which both sides threw food at each other in the tunnel.

During October and November 2005, Wenger became embroiled in a war of words with Chelsea manager José Mourinho. Mourinho accused Wenger of having an unprofessional obsession with Chelsea[1]; he went as far as labelling Wenger a "voyeur", and was quoted as saying "He's worried about us, he's always talking about us - it's Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea". Wenger responded by pointing out he was only answering journalists' questions about Chelsea, and described Mourinho's attitude as "disrespectful". Wenger additionally mooted the idea of formally complaining to FIFA, or even resorting to legal action, but in the end no such action came about.

Wenger has often been criticised by other Premiership managers for not fielding any English players, particularly in the Champions League. West Ham United manager Alan Pardew said that Arsenal's Champions League success was "not necessarily a triumph for British football".[citation needed] Wenger saw the issue of nationality as irrelevant, replying "When you represent a club it's about values and qualities, not about passports."[citation needed]

Awards

Wenger was awarded an honorary OBE for services to British football in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2003. In October 2004, he signed a contract extension that will keep him at Arsenal through the 2007/2008 season.

Clubs

Honours

As a player

As a manager

References

  1. ^ ""Mourinho labels Wenger a 'voyeur'"". BBC Sport website. Retrieved October 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ ""Arsenal.com - Player Files - Coaching Staff"". Retrieved March 06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
Preceded by
Pat Rice (caretaker)
 Arsenal manager
1996– 		Succeeded by
Current Incumbent

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