Football: Arsene Wenger’s Future at Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is one of the oldest managers in the Premier League, as only Sir Alex Ferguson has spent more time than the Frenchman. He joined Arsenal in 1996, and is still serving the interests of the club. Right now, he has only one year left in his contract; therefore, he found it necessary to talk about his future at Emirates Stadium.
Wenger decided to quit being a manager at the age of 65, while he is 61 at the moment. Therefore, according to his own stated date of retirement, he has only four years left on his contract. Although, he has been offered many jobs, at big clubs including Real Madrid, Wenger has always stayed with the Gunners, a club that is incomplete without him. However, his future at the club would depend upon Wenger himself, who might go for some other challenge in his last years.
Arsenal flourished a lot under Arsene Wenger, as they won three league titles and four FA cup titles under him. In addition, Arsenal had a record run under Wenger, during the 2003-2004 Season, when they went berserk without losing any match in English Premier League. Apart from these successful moments, Wenger was the pioneer of typical Arsenal style football, which is always liked by football fans around the world. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that Wenger actually is a vital part of the current Arsenal team.
During a press conference, Wenger reiterated that he would be retiring at the age of 61. However, he assured Arsenal fans that he would love to spend his last years at the same club, while the authorities are already considering a contract renewal. On the other hand, Wenger also said that if he wanted another challenge, this would be his only opportunity. Therefore, if he thought about a new challenge, during his last days as manager, he might not get his contract renewed.
Arsene Wenger is one of the greatest football managers in the World, so when he leaves, he would definitely be missed. Wenger, during the interview, said that his enthusiasm would not change at the age of 65; however, he would not be able to maintain a physical condition similar to Ferguson. Therefore, he would choose retirement, rather than pushing himself to his limits.
During the interview, he made allusions to another aspect of his managerial skills. Wenger said that the club was able to stop Fabregas’ transfer, only because they are financially very strong. He said that the clubs would have to let go of their big players, in times of financial crises. In case of Arsenal, the team is well managed, financially, which helped them to retain their captain for at least one more season.
This aspect of Wenger makes him the best around the world. Everyone knows that Arsenal follows a strict wage policy, as they do not give lavishly to their players, in order to retain them. Also, Wenger does not like to spend a lot during summer transfers, as he looks for young players, with big potentials, which costs him lesser than the senior players. These players develop their skills, during their stay at the club, thus increasing their value with the passage of time. Therefore, Wenger acts as a true manager, putting his Masters in Economics degree to a greater use.
There is no doubt that Arsenal is one of the most successful clubs in Europe, as far as their financial condition is concerned. A lot of credit goes to Wenger, who has always shown great enthusiasm in controlling the budgets of his team. This was the main reason that helped the club to build a new stadium, during Wenger’s stay at the club. Ultimately, it is all about the profits; therefore, Arsenal’s owners would definitely do their utmost to retain the prolific Frenchman for the remaining part of his managerial career.
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