Arsene Wenger says African players have had a huge impact on his career as a football manager highlighting Kanu, Kolo Toure and George Weah as three of his favourites.
Answering a question from BBC Africa in his pre-Burnley press conference – a gathering dominated by questions about his 20-year tenure at Arsenal – the boss reflected on a relationship with African players that started while in charge at Monaco.
“African players had a massive impact on my career because I always managed them right from the moment I started in the top league in France,” said Wenger.
“I had African players at Monaco and I like the fact that they were creative and they are usually attacking players with imagination. They have pace and power as well, and they usually combine strength and agility well. That’s very difficult to find.
“Africans are hugely passionate people and there is a big passion in Africa for the game. They are happy on the football pitch and that’s something which has been fantastic for us.
“Kanu had a massive impact here, Kolo Toure too, I had George Weah too… so all these players had a massive impact.”
Wenger’s relationship with Liberian striker Weah was so strong that the player dedicated his FIFA World Player of the Year award to his manager.
In a recent interview with FIFA TV, Weah reflected: “Every time I was going on the field. I was playing for Arsene Wenger.
“I wanted him to know that what he had done for me, this is the way I could pay him. I would break my knee, my hand, my face for him just to win the game.
“He took care of me like a son and I couldn’t believe that because when racism was at its peak, Arsene taught me that black men and white men can live together.”
You can watch the full Weah interview below…
Who knows, the way things are going for young Alex Iwobi you’d back him to make the list when Arsene celebrates his 30th anniversary…
Wow. My admiration for Arsene Wenger just continues to grow for this man. Such a gent and honorable man.
#OneArseneWenger
He signed Kanu after he had undergone a heart surgery. Who the fuck does that. Tell you what. That’s some one special. Someone that sees through all the media bullshit and world bullshit and measures a person by their worth. My role model you Arsene.
After all the financial difficulties, it would be so appropriate for Wenger to win the league.
Fingers crossed on the injury front, which has detailed many of title challenges in the last decade.
Here’s to decency, creativity and loyalty winning in the end.
Lauren, Eboue, Elneny etc. Except that guy whose name rhymes with aunty-by-law.
Aunty-by-Law crack up, that a new one for me…
I was thinking of another word that rhymes with Aunty-by-law… C*unty-by-law…
Arsene – a small ray of decency in a sea of turds!
A HUGE ray of decency, if you please!
George Weah such a fantastic striker, still wondering why Arsene did not try to lure him out of Milan when he took over in 1996. Knowing the incredible bond they had.Or may be he tried and Milan refused and he settled for Anelka. Wrighty and Weah with Dennis pulling the strings…. football fiction!
Weah was great , but I would not compare anywhere to the king TH14 and we had the best striker ever in the PL so we didn’t need weah, if we got weah in 96′ I don’t think we would have buy the best striker in the PL.
We couldn’t have afforded him then as Milan wouldn’t want to sell him and the big clubs in SerieA had loads of money then (much more than us).
Eboue is the greatest African of all. Long live the Eboue.
Obviously we all know that and AW certainly knows that but it would have been disrespectful to the others to have said this. 🙂
A hugely decent gent, our Arsene is. #Wenger20
As an African man myself, I am extremely proud to say “There is only one Arsene Wenger”.
Ill join you on that.
I imagine this saying in the thickest African accent. Before you thinkI am anything Trumpian….. I am AfricaN TOO….
Don’t forget vieira he was born in Senegal and a few other players who have African parents
Visits is also a cunty captain who bent forward for Real almost every summer.
*Vieira
I think that was more about his agent stirring the pot, but he didn’t do anything to stop it.
I also think Vieira is not the good kid every Gooner wants. He always seems so disinterested with anything Arsenal, silly guy. To be honest, I rate him on the same scale with John Terry, Maureenho and Joey Barton.
No, he’s far better than those 3 cunts.
He may not be the demi-god we want him to be but really, he can’t lower himself that far.
I can only think of Tony Yeboah and Peter Nlovu in terms of African players who had any type of impact in the Prem at all before Wenger showed up. Revolutionary.
Jay Jay Okocha? Henri Camara? Obafemi Martins?
Before 1996? Really?
Grobelaar of course, if we’re talking about pre-Sky
A cheeky bid for Yaya Toure in January transfer window ?
only if we can pay him in cake fuck , him and his lunatic of agent
fuck that*
Two years ago, Yaya was better than Ozil.
He certainly was ‘top top quality’ and maybe he can show that again occasionally but his age suggests it won’t be consistent and his price (salary alone) together with the drama that seems to surround him in recent years (mainly through his agent) makes me think he wouldn’t be a great buy now.
7am football ballistically speaking?….
I JUST WENGER. ..SUPER MAN. BUT PLEASE DON’T MANAGE ENGLAND. COYG
This guy is a proper human being. Race or religion really doesn’t bother him and he respects them. The best out there in football in coaching and humane terms. #OneArseneWenger
I thought Wenger was a role model for my kid but I was wrong, I think he’s a role model for me too even at 34… At an age when managers and players are business partners, there’s Wenger the idealist….
His 30th anniversary huh? Well..big,huge,massive fan of the boss here but that really is a cheeky stretch. Not that I would mind
African here. I started supporting Arsenal when Iived in London as they played amazingly well. The many Africans on the roster had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Sorry mate but why did you put that in past tense???? Played amazingly well?? We still fucking do. Did you see the chavs game? And Basle? That’s football porn mate.
I think he used the past tense because they played well whilst he lived in London. Since he presumably doesn’t anymore the sentence makes no reference to the way Arsenal have played since he left.
1 null to the arsenal