Club captain Per Mertesacker has paid tribute to Arsene Wenger, but admitted it will take him and the players a little time to come to terms with the announcement of the manager’s departure.
Earlier this morning, the Frenchman told the world he’d be leaving the club at the end of this season after 22 years in charge, and the reaction has been an outpouring of respect from almost everywhere.
That’s true of the players too, many of whom know they owe Wenger a debt of gratitude, and the former German international spoke about the news to the official site.
“We have just been informed basically,” he said. “It is quite emotional. Obviously he has been at the club for such a long time, he has been so supportive to me.
“One major reason why I’m here is because of him. It’s been emotional and there will be time to digest it but it is a sad feeling right now.
“He’s been the major figure for this club for over 20 years. He’s been so impressive for me and he’s trusted me so much throughout my career, in bringing me here, giving me the opportunity to play here and making me captain even when I was injured.
“He also gave me a future role here at the club, so I’m very grateful and humbled for the opportunity he gave to me. It is a sad day for me but we’re also moving forward for the future.
“It’s in Arsene’s interest as well that this club will give positive memories to the fans and the people.”
Other players have posted tributes too, and we’ll round them up a bit later on the site, but Hector Bellerin has also Tweeted this morning about this seismic news.
He said, “Personally a very sad day. I am forever in debt to this man. The person who had faith in me and gave me a platform to progress.
“Thank you for all the memories and trophies boss ❤”
Keep an ear out later on for another Arsecast, two in one day, but this is the kind of news that demands an extra podcast so we’ll make that happen.
Trophies
Yea trophies!! When you start following Araenal? Yesterday??
Didn’t we win the Cup last season. Trophies are not such an old story…
I hate feeding trolls but come on you can’t be serious making fun of Wenger’s record. Most successful Arsenal manager to date. He’ll have a statue outside of the Emirates in no time.
Yup, definitely a statue.
Name a stand after this great man too.
They’re a vacuous lot.
He stands to make it 11 major trophies should he win the europa.
That’s 1 trophy every two seasons.
In the larger scheme of things, not too bad a return.
Could he have won more? Yes.
But it doesn’t detract from the incredible record he has achieved, not even having to mention the unbeaten season or less salubrious nuggets like finishing above Spurs and in CL for 20 seasons (until recent two)
He has had his flaws but at the end of the day, his merits have always outweighed them.
With every bit of news or reaction that comes out comes new levels of sadness.
I wanted change at the end of the season but nothing prepared me for this level of sadness.
Thankfully it’s a Friday. Can’t imagine what sort of week I’d have had
Sounds like most of us.
Shows how much he supported and improved his players.
Fuck me. ?? Wenger is one of those rare species who transcended their field of work. A great football manager yes, one of the greatest ever in fact, and yet, he is also so much more than that. For example, he’d remind us, how football is not just about money and even winning. He’d remind us, through his words, how there’s more to it then just that. About the joy of playing, and the joy of seeing your favourite team on a pleasant sunny afternoon. All these things he cared about truly. It is evident in all those players who’ve… Read more »
One Arsenal Wenger
“The only possible moment of happiness is the present. The past gives you regrets. And the future uncertainties. Man understood this very fast and created religion. It absolves you of what you’ve done wrong in the past and tells him not to worry about the future, because he’ll go to paradise. It means make the most of the present.” -AW
Let us remember today, the glory of the past this man has given us, and the future this man has bestowed upon us.
Although very grateful my overriding feeling today is one of elation & excitement over a new era.
No more bad defences
No more fudging signings on his whim
No more boring sideways slow passing
We can now get a proper defensive midfielder
We can not get away from his slow teams & get back to pace & power.
I am so excited that he’s going. A great weight has been lifted, our possibilities are endless, Wenger’s rule over the club is at last over and I’m estatic.
Bring on a new era.
Celtic won’t block Rogers to go to Arsenal headline. You will be happy soon, buddy.
stfu
Ridiculous. One manager going is no guarantee that another will be the solution to everything. It’s up to the management, and the recruitment/Definitely-not-director-of-football people to get a manager/signings that will address the issues. And giving the the new manager gets a sizeable transfer kitty and manages to move on the players he doesn’t want.
There’s so much behind the scenes that we don’t know and probably never will. It’s easy to make Wenger the fall guy for all our ailments.
correction: Making sure the new manager gets a ….
Is there no edit on replies?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 21 years you know that Arsene has run all of the footballing operations and had the last say on all of the football decisions the club made. When you have that power and demand that power, you have to accept when you get it wrong and when it’s clear your methods no longer work. I am not being disrespectful, I am and forever will be grateful for the trophies, invincibles and being a big part of the stadium move. But if you can’t be excited with the idea of new… Read more »
I haven’t been living under a rock thankfully. And I look forward to a competent new manager who will hopefully win us the league, FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League/Europa League to boot. Wenger or not, premier league winners or 7th below Burnley, I support our club through thick and thin. I welcome the idea of new tactics, and hopefully better coaching, but my original point is, there’s no guarantee. Especially as now the person running all the footballing operations, as you put it, is leaving. We need to recruit the right manager with the right backroom staff,… Read more »
I also wanted him to leave, still: fuck you!
I realize I am likely being baited to comment to a troll but…every team has the issues you listed, most of them are always striving to improve in those same areas of play and management. Enjoy your rose colored glasses while they last.
Ah Glocken, you are one of those that thinks a new manager will make Arsenal the best team in the world in five minutes…smh.
Not at all, it’s going to be difficult & a long process but I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. We have had long standing problems in the team for (literally) years that Arsene has just refused to address. I don’t need to name them all but mainly our defence and DM. The idea that we can finally start addressing these, be a modern forward thinking club with a proper infrastructure is so exciting. Look at the absolute state we’ve been in over the last ten years, frequently thrashed by our rivals, not competing, embarrassing… Read more »
So very well said glocken
Nurse, he’s out of bed again!
Everyone knew it was time for Arsene to step down but the way some of the fans have behaved like they are the only ones who loved this club and know fuck all has been just unacceptable. They are the same group of fans who are going to be making it toxic even during our transition period from next season.
This piece of information that Arsene is leaving our club is just not sinking in. Au revoir Le Professeur.
Who ever doesn’t show up at the next game is a messed up fuck.
If we get Viera, Arteta for Rodgers, I will riot. We need a top top top manager to replace him. This is no time to take a punt on unproven managers. We are too big a club for that.
Wenger was unproven
He was unknown on British shores. He had won Ligue 1 and Coupe de France with Monaco. He also helped develop one of the greatest footballers, George Weah
With the amount of stuff I read every day about people wanting him to go, but being resigned to the idea he would see out his contract, I just came to assume that was what would happen. Little did I know I’d wake up this morning to this news and have tears in my eyes. Arsene is the embodiment of our beloved club, and over the last 7 years that I’ve avidly followed this team, he has conducted himself with nothing if not class, integrity, and intelligence. He has been bigger than the game for me. Not in the sense… Read more »
Bollox… arsenal is bigger than Wenger. We were great before we will be great again.
Try reading again. I just said he’s not more important than the club.
Whinger, you were a cunt before. You will be a cunt forever.
Your comments better describe you than I ever can.
For me there is a huge sense of relief. Not sadness. We are finally moving on.
Onwards and upwards…
This sums him up nicely The thing for me is in 22 years, hes only actually won 3 league titles and done nothing in Europe. For a club like Arsenal that isnt actually very impressive and hes been completely unsuccessful at turning it around. He’s won lots of FA Cups and Communuty shields but in the big ones that count, hes done nothing and watched as United, Chelsea and Liverpool all win in Europe. Reminds me of David Cameron really. Will probably go down in history as a good manager, but will ultimately be remembered more for what he should… Read more »
Maybe not the Cameron bit… that’s going to far 🙂
Where did you come from man? :-/ And why?
I’ve been an arsenal fan probably since before your dad was born!
Fuck, you’re old. But doesn’t really answer my question (which was rhetorical anyway).
So you are just an ancient farking piece of s**t!
Well out of order AP.
I’ve had my fun today, but now I’ll get serious. It’s time to move on from Wenger and the Wenger era. We needed to change so much it was hurting. Two massively important things need to happen now: first, the club have to make the right choice when it comes to the new boss. The ideal manager should be a young, fortysomething man who can come in and completely revamp the squad. The deadwood must be ditched and quality players in key positions have to be acquired. A new goalkeeper, a centre-half and two quality DMs must arrive by the… Read more »
I hate that we support the same club
Who should get the credit if Arsenal win the EL ?
Demands..demands and endless demands..! I feel for your husband!
Per, now would be a good time to show Wenger how you guys can still play good football by winning the Europa League.
On another note, I hope Arsene gets recognition for his contribution and services to English football by being knighted. Sadly as a non-British it can only be honorary.
As an America Arsenal fan who has followed the club for about 12 years I must admit that a significant aspect of my passion for the team has had 5 primary roots. 1) Style of play 2) Wenger and the culture of loyalty and class 3) opportunities for young players 4) underdog against the Oligarch owned and fiscally improper teams 6) and last of those is winning trophies or more appropriately the ability to compete. Without the roots of being English and a fan since childhood I am not sure how this relationship will evolve. For those who have based… Read more »
Well said. Trophies are important but they are not the only thing. We’ve won 10 major trophies in 21+ years under Wenger. We stand to make it 11 with the Europa. That’s a trophy every next season practically. But its the sublime moments which he touched that holds Wenger dear. Its like the moment Pele rounded the keeper but just missed the goal. Or the Gordon Banks save on the Pele header. You don’t just find Pele a great player for his goals. Sometimes, its the audacity of attempt that is equally if not more genius and the reciprocity in… Read more »
Well said Santori, In regards to my previous comments and some of the others we have seen. If you believe the club is going to be able to compete financially for 2 world class DM’s, a top 5 CB, a top 5 manager, the overall payroll of the top 5 teams out there prepare for disappointment. The undeniable rise in both number and quality of tier 2 teams in the world is changing the landscape. If you believe we can be routinely competitive with all of those aspects, competitive on a consistent basis without either an Oligarch who is complicit… Read more »
Actually think timing is a tactical masterstroke by Wenger. What better motivation could each and every player have going into the two biggest matches of the season, than to win this one for the Zipper. For every crass and spiteful comment Wenger has endured from pundits and press. He has started and furthered so many players’ careers, and by all accounts contributed to so many of their lives beyond football, not to mention what he has given to Football, in general. For Club and players, AW has always taken the flak, now pay him back!
I think its calibrated in terms of timing toward that.
He knew he was going to walk but he saved it for the moment.
All the eggs are in that basket now.
Knowing the man that he is, he is less concern with winning his 11th major trophy and more concern with us qualifying for CL so the incoming manager has a leg up.
Simply class.
Whether the team go on to do him justice and overcome Athetico is of course a different matter.
But his intent is there to give them the proper motivation for one last push.
When the whole world from managers to players to fans pays tribute to wenger the internet is swamped and a news which is much bigger than city winning title says is all about a great men great legened and even more that loving a club is not only about winning trophies like oil clubs do chelsea and city which is forgoten as soon as they won it and managers like pep will be a past in 2 3 years time ans move on to other club.
We’ve won 10 trophies in 21/22 seasons under Wenger. He can make that 11 with the europa. That’s a trophy every next season. But it goes beyond trophies. Its the sublime he has reached with that unbeaten season. The moments his team has delivered. The equally out of this world goals players like Henry, Bergkamp, Giroud, have scored. The combination goals Rosicky, Giroud and Jack have been involved in, sublime. The out of this world control and skill Diaby and Santi have give us, even RVP and Nasri. And he has also converted with great success players like Henry, Kolo,… Read more »