Arsene Wenger says his love of Arsenal was the reason behind his decision to reject approaches from PSG on three occasions.
Yesterday L’Equipe reported that the mega-rich French champions sought to lure Wenger away from North London in 2011, 2013, and 2014, but each time found their advances rebuffed.
Asked at his press conference last night by local journalists why he turned down what were surely very, very lucrative offers, Wenger said, “Because I love where I am. I know well the PSG owners, but I feel always I remained loyal to Arsenal Football Club because I think it’s a club that has the qualities I love.
“And, that’s why.”
The Frenchman was also asked if his contract situation, now in its final year, increased his desire to win the Champions League.
“I just focus on the next game,” he said. “I don’t think like that. I think I played over 170 games in the Champions League and it’s every time the same: you want to do well in the next one.
“My personal case is not at stake in that at all.”
I so badly want le prof to lay his hands on epl or ucl trophy for arsenal before he calls it quits
Or both in the same season.
How can anyone downvote this!?
Must be some Chelsea scum lurking around.
and the mighty EFL cup and why not throw in another FA Cup too! The Quad is well and truly on 🙂
PSG 3 times, real Madrid twice and Monaco twice that I’m aware of. I knew PSG came for him twice so I am suprised they came again in 2014. I really don’t want to him in another dogout. After arsenal he should retire or go upstairs or go on strictly come dancing whatever but not to manage another team.
Oh please I wanna see Wenger dance
Wenger and Eboue together on Strictly <3
He’d win.
Also there are the Barcelona, Man City, England and France manager jobs he has turned down. Per the article in the Irish Independent.
But what do all those teams know about football? Many pundits and Arsenal fans say he’s been past it for ages so it wouldn’t make sense for other teams to want him.
The problem is many of the fans can’t see his brilliance because they’re simply too used to it. It’s just ever so slightly tragic, but to have his level of consistency in the top game is pretty much unheard of, and it’s that same consistency that is driving the fans mad. We just want to win a major title already, and many feel that Wenger isn’t the person to do it, because he’s been so consistent in not doing so. Odd Catch-22. But, I belieeeeeeeeve. Make Arsenal Great Again. Wenger2016-17
He turned down Bayern and Real too. Every big club outside of England (with the exception of the Italian ones) wanted him to be coach. He’s clearly not respected or valued by the people that know the most about footballing stuff. 😉
If the mood in and around the club is negative he will likely call it quits but you can see he is not ready to quit football.
If he leaves be ause the majority are unhappy I can forgive if he goes to another team.
I love our manager, and I believe I always will. I wouldn’t mind if he retired at PSG instead of Arsenal, but I would be surprised.
I think in hindsight a fairy tale ending for him would have been to leave arsenal in 2014 after winning the FA cup and then joining PSG for 3/4 seasons or until he was bored and retired on a high. I think then he would be fondly remembered as the greatest Arsenal manager and he would have nothing else to prove, except maybe winning the CL.
Or possibly the worst Arsenal manager ever, after having brought the club to new heights, and then abandoning his post in an instant in the midst of a squad rebuild.
In hindsight, things happened and Wenger is still here. Let’s put our hopes to winning in the future instead of crafting a rosy-tinted tale.
He has his critics, and though being an “Arsene must stay” fan myself, events in recent seasons has made me acknowledge the validity of some of those criticisms. fact is as an Arsenal fan, is you either “love” him or “hate” him, depending on your opinion on the best way forward, regarding the managerial future of Arsenal. One thing that is undoubted though is that the man loves Arsenal and…….he is class!
We will always love wenger. But stagnation equates regression in the football world.
how can you hate someone like Wenger? I can understand hating someone like Mourinho, Pulis or Allardyce because of the toxicity of their personae but Wenger? when they write the history books, we will discover then what a unique manager he was…his class, intelligence, human and managerial qualities rubbed off on the team and the club but unfortunately not on all the fans…I know he can be frustrating and stubborn but he was never the subject of my hate…he said somewhere that the banks would advance the money for the new stadium only if Wenger signed up for the duration… Read more »
Just because you want change don’t mean you hate Arsene Wenger. It is possible to be a huge fan of Wenger’s past achievements at the club but still have the opinion that the club today right now could make more progress with someone else at the helm. There have been many seasons now with little to no progress and we have seemed to reach the pinnacle of what Wenger can achieve with pressure from supporters needed for him to invest properly in the squad. And at the end of the day any true fan supports the Club and always want… Read more »
Whatever you think of Wenger’s ‘performance’ in recent years, you have to admit he’s fucking class.
Look at all the morons that have been through the doors of other top Premier league clubs over the past decade.
Even the more successful ones such as Fergie and Maureen are complete cunts compared to Arsene.
Wenger’ll be no doubt be remembered for the invincibles era, but I think beyond that he epitomises what Arsenal are about. Legend in my humble opinion.
Arsene for president of FIFA
Perfect candidate – in a world that was not corrupt, that loved football more than money and power.
So sadly no chance.
He should have left 10 years ago and left the fans wanting more instead he’s hung around and there’s now a festering resentment towards him that could and should have been avoided.
As the old adage goes, leave when the ovation is loudest
If he had left 10 years ago we would have spent the last 8-9 years trying to get him back.
Maybe, that’s why it would have been best that he left, as i said.
Wenger’s proved over the last 20 years that when given the best players he can win, but without he doesn’t have the managerial skills to make a team more than the sum of it’s parts.
**WOOSSHHH** -> The point
10 clean sheets in Europe with a defence of Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4771963.stm with matches including Juventus, Real Madrid and Villareal.
Tell me he can’t build a team greater than the sum of its parts again.
And what did that team win?
He can’t produce a team that is greater than the sum of its parts we have a decade of results to prove it
Standing ovation for your amazing comment. Bye, now.
you just need to sound reasonable in relentless (Wenger bashing) tirade, it is just none stop and becoming increasingly meaningless Mr. John C.
…. and the age factor was just a cheap shot, Did you ask how old is Ranieri or Guud Hiddink for that matter? ….well you better do.
Can you read English? Where did i mention age?
I think he misread adage as age. but in either case, you don’t have to about his English reading capabilities. He addressed you as Mr for FFS.
I did, because he said it was a cheap shot when the only person being cheap was him.
Can’t… not can you read ….
If he left after the Invincibles, with the stadium debt to be dealt with for the next 7 or so years, we would be well and truly fucked by now. Honestly can’t imagine a manager doing what he’s done for us during that austerity period.
What finishing on average 4 with comfortably the 4th biggest budget? i don’t understand why people think this is a great achievement?
Ask Liverpool & Spurs
Why? They finish on average were there budget places them as well
John C – what do you mean by ‘budget’?
Turnover? Cash reserves? Transfer budget? Profit?
Transfer budget is a figure the board agrees on, to limit spendings. It seems to me, Arsenal’s transfer budgets haven’t been public during the last 15 years, so this is probably not what you’re talking about, right?
Turnover and wage bill
Oh I get it, you’re talking about Fifa career mode budgets! Ok, my bad…
So, he should left us in 2006. The season we got to the CL Final…..
What exactly were your expectactions when we left Highbury? With no sugar daddy to pay for the stadium? And having to sell at least one of your best players every year for about 6 years? Whilst going up against Chavski, The Glazers & Citeh?
Yes after the Champions league final would have been a natural ending point. My expectations were that we would try and do our best, and not indulge our manager on his pet projects of youth experimentation, where he removed experience far too quickly despite many saying it was a bad idea. Arsenal did not and do not need a sugar daddy to pay for the stadium, the highest ticket prices in world football has always had that covered. In 2006 City had no money, so they weren’t a treat and Utd had many more hundreds (and still have) of millions… Read more »
Hard to believe he had the 4th biggest budget when I’m pretty sure we ended up with a profit (or a negligible loss) in transfer fees over that period.
Well believe it, because it’s true.
No there are opinions then there are facts. During the period when we were building the stadium wenger operated on a profit in the transfer market, meaning he sold more than he spent. He probably could have spent more but it’s thanks to that that we payed off our debt quickly and aren’t still handicap. After that we’ve splashed the cash in the last 3-4 years. Anyone talking about wenger’s “transfer policy” doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
I’m talking about wage bill not transfer budget
‘because its true’ almost as good as ‘FACT’
– I believe Jim is right btw, we had to break even by selling players.. Although we probably had the 4th biggest transfer kitty, IF we didnt build that massive £400m shiny new stadium.
Silly you probably just forgot that though!
I’m talking about wage bill, which as the link provided by _ shows we actually had the third highest for most of that time, I just averaged it out to 4th to make Wenger look better!
4th highest budget in wages maybe, but no way the 4th highest budget in terms of transfer fees. We made a profit on transfers in some years, and he constantly kept Arsenal in the CL. Maybe others could have delivered more titles, but no other coach could have achieved such a stability in my opinion, which is what we really needed in that time. Now we have an amazing stadium and a very talented squad coming out of a difficult period, with another coach we could be in deep sp*rs now
And what has to be added, pretty balanced books
Comfortably the 4th biggest budget? Mind to elaborate and provide some credible source for this? Quick transfermarkt count shows that between 2006 and 2012, on transfers pool spend some 150m, sp**s around 130m, and the Arsenal was in plus around 35m. Wages data are here (via swiss ramble)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMkPvqCV6Sc/TuhqGHvUVkI/AAAAAAAAEvE/m_BMIjfwOYM/s400/15%2BTottenham%2BWages%2BLeague.jpg
chickens behind, pool roughly on par.
Surely you are not counting debt service and property and academy development into ‘his’ money, right?
Thanks for that excellent link to Swiss Ramble as it shows that for most of that time our wage bill was third highest, which you know proves my point
John C
Fans like yourself are why I become increasingly more and more embarrassed every season to call my self an Arsenal fan.
If you want to have a pop about high ticket prices. But that is not Mr Wenger’s fault. Have a go at the lack of atmosphere in the stadium. Again that is not Mr Wenger’s fault. But the lack of admiration, respect and gratitude shown towards this man has really shattered my image of this club.
Where are you from No.8 because you’re lack of understanding of the English language should be you biggest source of embarrassment.
The nature of the internet means that we can all communicate with people from all over the world but when writing on an english football club i expect the readers to be familiar with a local colloquialism like leave when the ovation is loudest without taking offence.
‘you’re lack of understanding of the English language should be you biggest source of embarrassment’
I think you mean your. Oops
Thanks, we can all make spelling mistakes, however as Papas has pointed out highlighting others imperfect grammar is the last vestige of the asshole, of which you are one ( along with CB, Beowulf and greysox)!
I however have done no such thing, I’ve merely pointed out that he should learn to read English(that’s for you CB) as nothing in my original statement was having a pop at Wenger nor did it show a lack of gratitude, respect or admiration. Not that I should have to anyway.
ZING
And where are you from Mr. John C? It is “your lack…”
grammar (imperfect grammar at that) is always the last refuge of the @sshole…
Where are you from, John C?
In English we use a capital for ‘English’. Please capitalise it in the future or you are being disrespectful to us English.
And they would all have fired him before the end of the season.
No doubt he loves the club, but I daresay the £8.3 million a year helped too.
A tidy sum, but if he was really in it for the money he could have earned twice as much at Real Madrid, PSG
£8.3 million for several low expectation seasons and step down when you feel like it,or £12 million for a season or two and then sacked for not winning the CL. I know which I’d choose.
There are sixteen reasons …simple as that 🙂
https://youtu.be/5bSSeAUGM1U
Simple acronym for John C: DNFTT
I hope it’s rude! 🙂
Do not fuck the tadpole??
Do not follow that tiger??
Help me out here…:-)
Simpler just to speculate about what the “C” stands for, I think.
Champion would be my guess.
For the number of thumbs down.
More like “because he would have been fired anywhere else.”
170 CL matches. I can hardly fathom..
Sounding a bit like a needful and clingy teenage girlfriend M. Wenger old chap.
Not a good look.