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In September 2007, Wenger and his club Arsenal, earned the prestigious English Premier League 'Manager of the Month' award and a 'Player of the Month' award for the Gunners' sensational midfielder, Cesc Fabregas.
In September 2007, Wenger and his club Arsenal, earned the prestigious English Premier League 'Manager of the Month' award and a 'Player of the Month' award for the Gunners' sensational midfielder, Cesc Fabregas.

Also on November 21st 2007, Arsene Wenger was granted the honour of having an asteroid named after him<ref>http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=33179;orb=1;cov=0#orb</ref> by the astronomer I.P. Griffins, who claims Arsenal FC is his favourite football club<ref>http://web.mac.com/i_griffin/Ian_Griffins_Website/Arsenewenger.html</ref>.


==Controversies==
==Controversies==

Revision as of 16:09, 3 December 2007

Arsène Wenger
Personal information
Full name Arsène Wenger
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal

Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager. He is currently the manager of Arsenal. He is the club's most successful manager in terms of trophies and the club's longest-serving manager in terms of matches played (over 600 as of March 2007).[2] Wenger is the only non-British manager to win the Double in England, having done so in 1998 and 2002. In 2004, he became the only manager in FA Premier League history to go through the entire season without a loss. Wenger has a degree in Engineering and a master's degree in Economics [3] from Strasbourg University and is fluent in French, Alsatian, German and English; he also speaks some Italian, Spanish and Japanese.[4]

Playing career

Wenger's playing career was relatively inauspicious. He began as a defender for various amateur clubs while studying at the Institut Européen d'Études Commerciales Supérieures de Strasbourg of Robert Schuman University, where he completed a masters degree in 1971.

Wenger turned professional in 1978, making his debut for RC Strasbourg against Monaco. [citation needed]He only made twelve appearances for the team, including two as they won the Ligue 1 title in 1978-79, and played once in the UEFA Cup in the same season, his only taste of European football.[citation needed] In 1981, he obtained a manager's diploma and was appointed the coach of the club's youth team.

Managerial career

Wenger thanking the crowd after the final home game of 2006/07 season. May 1, 2007

Wenger's first senior management job was at Nancy, which he joined in 1984, but he enjoyed little success there, during his third and final season in charge, Nancy finished 19th and were relegated to the Ligue 2. His managerial career took off when he became the manager of AS Monaco in 1987. He won the league in 1988 (his first season in charge) and the French Cup in 1991, and signed high-calibre players such as Glenn Hoddle, George Weah and Jürgen Klinsmann. He also signed 23-year old Youri Djorkaeff from RC Strasbourg; the future World Cup winner finished joint top goalscorer in Ligue 1 (with 20 goals) during Wenger's final season in France. Wenger turned down approaches by Bayern Munich and the France national team out of loyalty for Monaco,[5] only to be fired after a poor start to the 1994-95 season.[6] He moved on to a successful 18-month stint with the Japanese J. League team Nagoya Grampus Eight, with whom he won the Emperor's Cup, the national cup competition. He also took the club from the bottom three to runners-up position in the league.[5] At Grampus, he hired former Valenciennes manager Boro Primorac, whom he had met during the 1993 match-fixing scandal involving Olympique de Marseille, as his assistant; he would remain Wenger's "right-hand man" for years to come.[7]

Wenger had in the meantime become a friend of the then Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, after the two had met when Wenger attended a match between Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers in 1988.[8] After Bruce Rioch resigned in August 1996, Gérard Houllier, the then technical director of the French Football Federation, recommended Wenger to David Dein in the summer of 1996.[9] Arsenal confirmed his appointment on September 28 1996, and he officially took up the reins on October 1. Wenger was Arsenal's first manager from outside Great Britain or Ireland. Though he had previously been touted as a potential Technical Director of the Football Association, at the time Wenger was a relative unknown in England.[10]

Even before he formally took control of the team, Wenger had started to shape the Arsenal squad, having requested that the club sign French midfielders Patrick Vieira and Rémi Garde a month before he took charge. His first match in charge was a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on October 12 1996.

In his second season in charge (1997-98), Arsenal won both the Premiership and FA Cup, the second Double in the club's history; it came after Arsenal made up a twelve point deficit on Manchester United to win the League title with two games to spare. Key to the success was the inherited defence of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown, along with striker Dennis Bergkamp as well as a blend of Wenger's new midfield signings: Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira , Marc Overmars, and teenage striker Nicolas Anelka.

The following few seasons were comparatively barren with a series of near misses. In 1999, they lost the Premiership title to Manchester United by 1 point on the final day of the season, and United also eliminated Arsenal in extra time of an FA Cup Semi Final. This was followed by losing the UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray on penalties and the 2001 FA Cup final to Liverpool 2-1. Wenger resolved to bring new players to the squad, with the controversial signing of Tottenham's Sol Campbell as well as first-team players such as Fredrik Ljungberg, Thierry Henry and Robert Pirès.

The new signings would help Wenger's Arsenal would achieve the double once more. The crowning moment was the second to last game of the season, against Manchester United;Arsenal won 1-0 in a game, which Arsenal are seen to have generally outplayed Manchester United. Roy Keane refered to this game as "men against boys". Arsenal went the whole season unbeaten away from home and scored in every single premiership game that season. After an incredible start to the 2002-03 season, Arsenal had looked as though they were going to retain the Premiership crown for the first time in their history. The team contributed and combined some irresistible, attacking football with pace and visionary skills. However, Manchester United overhauled the Gunners in the latter stage of the season to win the title, as Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead against Bolton Wanderers to draw 2-2 and then surrendered the title at home to Leeds United.

Arsenal were compensated with a FA Cup win in 2003, and the following season made history by winning the 2003-04 Premiership title in 2004 without a single loss, the first top-flight team to manage this feat since Preston North End in 1888-89. A year earlier, Wenger had been derided for saying it was possible Arsenal could go unbeaten in an entire season.[11]

With another FA Cup win in 2005, in all, Arsenal have won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups under Wenger, making him Arsenal's most successful manager in terms of trophies. However, the UEFA Champions League title still eludes him; the closest Arsenal have come was when they reached the final in 2005-06, the first time in club history, which they lost 2-1 to FC Barcelona.

In October 2004, he signed a contract extension that would keep him at Arsenal through the 2007-08 season.[12] Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has said Wenger has a "job for life" at Arsenal, and had planned to offer Wenger a role on the Arsenal board once he has retired as a manager.[13]

Wenger's future as manager was thrust into question when David Dein left the Arsenal board on April 18, 2007. However on the 6 September 2007, Wenger agreed to sign a new three-year contract at Arsenal.[14] The Deal is thought to be worth £4 million a year, and comes as a big relief to Arsenal fans who thought that he would leave at the end of the season when his contract ran out.

Accomplishments

Wikiquote has quotations related to Arsène Wenger.

Wenger has a reputation for unearthing talent. At Monaco, he brought Liberian George Weah, who later became FIFA World Player of the Year with A.C. Milan, from Cameroonian side Tonnerre Yaoundé. In his time at Arsenal, Wenger has signed young, relatively unknown players such as Patrick Vieira, Francesc Fàbregas, Kolo Touré, and Robin van Persie and helped their transition into becoming world-class players. Notably, the Arsenal defence that set a new record after going ten consecutive games without conceding a goal en route to the UEFA Champions League 2005-06 final against FC Barcelona, cost Arsenal less than £5m to assemble.

Although Wenger has made some big-money signings for Arsenal his net spending record compares favourably with that of some other leading Premiership clubs; according to Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal chairman, "Arsène's basically spent, since he's been with us, £4m to £5m a year net."[15] A notable 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. The money was used to buy three players — Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès and Sylvain Wiltord, who all played a significant role in the Double of 2001-02 and the league title win of 2003-04.

As well as bringing in younger and relatively unknown talent to the club, Wenger has also seen a few of his veterans have their careers rejuvenated at Arsenal. Dennis Bergkamp, who had been signed by the north London side a year before Wenger joined, reached his peak under Wenger's management. Wenger also had a hand in elevating his former protégé at Monaco, Thierry Henry, to a world class player, and saw him become Arsenal's all-time top scorer and captain.

Wenger has also reformed the training and dietary regimes, ridding the club of its drinking and junk-food culture. Wenger stood by captain Tony Adams after the latter admitted his alcoholism in 1996. Wenger's support was factored into Adams' rehabilitation and return to form, likely extending his career by several years. Wenger's training and dietary regime may have also prolonged the careers of the other members of Arsenal's back four: defenders Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown; Wenger initially was planning to replace them but later realized that he did not need to.

Wenger had a direct input into the design of the Gunners' new Emirates Stadium and its move to a new training ground at London Colney. He enjoys a great deal of support from among Arsenal's fanbase, the club's fans having demonstrated tremendous faith in the manager and his vision over the long term. Nowhere has this sentiment been characterised more than by the popular saying among Gunners supporters "Arsène Knows" and "In Arsène We Trust", which are seen repeatedly on banners displayed by Emirates Stadium crowds.

For Arsenal's valedictory campaign at Highbury in 2005-06, supporters showed their appreciation for the manager by choosing "Wenger Day" as one of various "Themed Matchdays" proposed by the club in celebration of the team's move away from their historical ground. Wenger Day was held on his 56th birthday on October 22, 2005, during a match against Manchester City.[16]

Wenger reached his landmark 10th anniversary at the club in October 2006.

David Dein, former vice-chairman of Arsenal FC, has described Wenger as the most important manager in the club's history: "Arsene's a miracle worker. He's revolutionised the club. He's turned players into world-class players. Since he has been here, we have seen football from another planet."[17]

On October 18th 2007, A commissioned bronze bust of Arsene Wenger, similar to the earlier version of Herbert Chapman, was unveiled as a tribute to him, by the board of directors of Arsenal FC, at the club's Annual General Meeting [18]

Awards

Wenger was awarded France's highest decoration, the [[]], in 2002. He was awarded an honorary OBE for services to British football in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2003, along with fellow Frenchman and then Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier.

In 2006, Wenger was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements as a manager in the English game. He was the second foreign manager to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, after Italian-born Dario Gradi of Crewe Alexandra.

In September 2007, Wenger and his club Arsenal, earned the prestigious English Premier League 'Manager of the Month' award and a 'Player of the Month' award for the Gunners' sensational midfielder, Cesc Fabregas.

Also on November 21st 2007, Arsene Wenger was granted the honour of having an asteroid named after him[19] by the astronomer I.P. Griffins, who claims Arsenal FC is his favourite football club[20].

Controversies

Wenger has been embroiled in a number of controversies.

Wenger's sides were often criticised for their indiscipline, receiving 52 red cards between 1996 and 2003 although many of these were hotly disputed.[21] However, in 2004 and 2005 Wenger's Arsenal won the Premier League's Fair Play League tables for sporting behaviour.[22][23] In 2006 Arsenal finished second, behind Charlton Athletic.[24]

In 1999, Wenger offered Sheffield United F.C. a replay of their FA Cup 4th round game immediately after the match had finished, due to the controversial circumstances in which it was won. Arsenal's winning goal, scored by Marc Overmars, had resulted from Kanu failing to return the ball to the opposition after it had been kicked into touch to allow a Sheffield United player to receive treatment for an injury. Arsenal went on to win the replayed game 2-1.

He is also well known for his rivalry with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, as Arsenal and United were arch-rivals for the Premiership and FA Cup throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. This rivalry reached its culmination in the infamous "Pizzagate" incident at Old Trafford in October 2004 after a controversial penalty resulted in a 2-0 defeat and ended Arsenals 49 game unbeaten permiership run. After the match a member of the Arsenal side allegedly threw food at the opposition in the tunnel.[25] Ferguson, widely accepted to be a master of mind games, is arguably agreed to have met his match in Wenger.[26] Wenger was fined £15,000 for calling United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy "a cheat" in a post-match television interview. He was later fined for again calling van Nistelrooy a cheat, demonstrating that he firmly believed his claim.[27] Both managers have since agreed to tone down their words in an attempt to defuse the rivalry.[28]

During October and November 2005, Wenger became embroiled in a war of words with then Chelsea manager José Mourinho. Mourinho accused Wenger of having an "unprofessional obsession" with Chelsea; he went as far as labelling Wenger a "voyeur",[29] 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". Mourinho has since been quoted as saying that he regrets the "voyeur" comment, and Wenger has accepted his apology.[30]

Wenger has often been criticised by other Premiership managers for not fielding many English players, particularly in the Champions League. West Ham United's former manager Alan Pardew said that Arsenal's Champions League success was "not necessarily a triumph for British football".[31] Wenger saw the issue of nationality as irrelevant: "When you represent a club it's about values and qualities, not about passports.".[32] Other pundits, including Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development, defended Wenger; Brooking noted that a lack of English players in one of England's most successful clubs was more of a reflection of the talent pool in England rather than Wenger himself.[33] It is perhaps unfair to label Arsenal in this way. Several prominent English players in the Premiership were developed at Arsenal e.g. David Bentley, Steve Sidwell, Jermaine Pennant, Matthew Upson and most notably Ashley Cole. More recently, in November 2007, he was again criticised for fielding few English players by his old rival Sir Alex Ferguson.[34]

Wenger has also been involved in controversial statements about referees after matches in which decisions did not go his team's way.[35] Following the Carling Cup Final 2007, he called a linesman a 'liar', leading to heavy criticism, an FA investigation[36] and a £2500 fine and a warning about his future conduct.[37]

Honours

As a player

France RC Strasbourg

Winner



As a manager

France AS Monaco

Winner
Runner-Up

Japan Nagoya Grampus Eight

Winner

England Arsenal

Winner
Runner-up

Managerial statistics

Team Nationality From To Record
G W L D Win %
Nancy  France 1984 1987 114 33 51 30 28.95
AS Monaco  France 1987 1994 266 130 83 53 48.87
Nagoya Grampus Eight  Japan 1994 1996 56 38 18 0 67.85
Arsenal  England September 30 1996 Present 622 354 112 156 56.91
Career 1,058 555 254 239 52.46

References

  1. ^ "Arsène Wenger profile". Racingstub, unofficial RC Strasbourg site.
  2. ^ In terms of length of tenure, George Allison's 13 years in charge of Arsenal between 1934 and 1947 is more than Wenger's 10½ (as of March 2007), but Allison's period included the entirety of the Second World War, where no official football was played, and thus Wenger has overseen more matches.
  3. ^ "A few things you may not know about Arsène Wenger". Football365.com.
  4. ^ "Amy Lawrence Q&A on Arsène Wenger". bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ a b "ESPNsoccernet: Arsene Wenger". ESPNsoccernet. Retrieved 2006-12-26.
  6. ^ http://au.sports.yahoo.com/060926/3/wkn2.html
  7. ^ The Independent - Ten years of Wenger: how he plotted the French revolution
  8. ^ "Ten Years of Wenger: a week of celebration". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 2006-10-09.
  9. ^ "Regrets? I've had more than a few, says title-chasing Wenger". Times Online. Retrieved 2006-10-23.
  10. ^ "Press at a glance: Tuesday 7 December 1998". ANR. Retrieved 2006-10-09.
  11. ^ Wenger's actual quote was: "It's not impossible. I know it will be difficult for us to go through the season unbeaten. But if we keep the right attitude it's possible we can do it." From: Lipton, Martin (September 21, 2002). "We Won't Lose One Match". The Mirror. pp. 78–79. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Wenger signs new Arsenal contract". BBC. Retrieved 2004-10-27.
  13. ^ "Dein: Wenger has job for life". Sky Sports.
  14. ^ "Wenger agrees new deal at Arsenal". BBC Sport.
  15. ^ "Chairman fears for ageing Gunners". BBC Sport.
  16. ^ "It's Wenger Day at Highbury!". Arsenal.com.
  17. ^ "Arsenal sign Wenger with expert timing". Daily Telegraph.
  18. ^ "Arsenal commission bust of Arsène Wenger". Arsenal.com.
  19. ^ http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=33179;orb=1;cov=0#orb
  20. ^ http://web.mac.com/i_griffin/Ian_Griffins_Website/Arsenewenger.html
  21. ^ "Wenger has no back-up plan". Irish Examiner.
  22. ^ "Fair Play to Gunners". The Football Association.
  23. ^ "Fair Play to Arsenal could see Spurs in Europe". BreakingNews.ie.
  24. ^ "Barclays Premiership 2005/06 Fair Play League" (PDF). Premierleague.com.
  25. ^ "Wenger: I didn't see tunnel fracas". Football365.
  26. ^ "Wenger wins mind games". BBC Sport. 8 May 2002.
  27. ^ "Wenger fined over Ruud outburst". BBC Sport.
  28. ^ "Wenger and Ferguson to end feud". BBC Sport.
  29. ^ "Mourinho labels Wenger a 'voyeur'". BBC Sport.
  30. ^ "Mourinho regrets 'voyeur' comment". BBC Sport.
  31. ^ "This was no English victory says Taylor". The Guardian.
  32. ^ "Arsenal vs Liverpool: Wenger defends his foreign legion". The Guardian.
  33. ^ "English kids are technically inferior, claims Brooking". Soccernet.
  34. ^ "Ferguson supports Fifa quota plan". BBC Website.
  35. ^ "FA quizzes Wenger about comments". BBC Website. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 12 (help)
  36. ^ "Wenger out of order, says ex-ref". BBC Website.
  37. ^ "Wenger given fine & warning by FA". BBC Website.


Template:S-awards
Preceded by J. League Manager of the Year
1995 		Succeeded by
Preceded by FA Cup Winning Coach
1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by FA Cup Winning Coach
2002 & 2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by FA Cup Winning Coach
2005 		Succeeded by


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