Arsenal have announced their new head coach for next season,Unai Emery. His predecessor had 22 years in charge of the London club. As it turns out, Le Professeur turned down some high-profile jobs along the way.
1. Real Madrid
Few are ever called to play for or coach Europe’s most successful team. Fewer still are able to decline the offer. But according to Wenger himself, this is what he did, on not one, but two or three occasions.
“Real Madrid I think I turned down two or three times, you know. It’s one of the teams I loved when I was a kid. I just felt that it was a very sensitive period for Arsenal.”
“You are always tempted to go to Real Madrid because they offered me the chance to take control of the whole club,” Arsene Wenger told reporters in one of his last conferences in charge of Arsenal.
2. England
When Arsene Wenger arrived in the Premier League, his methods of coaching Arsenal were downright revolutionary. With a growing record and reputation, the manager was offered the position of England national team manager.
With England largely disappointing in international tournaments since 1990, this could truly have been an interesting match. Wenger is known as a man obsessed with discipline and efficiency. Those are qualities the Three Lions could certainly have used
“I turned [England] down two or three times. But at that time the daily involvement for me was important. I have said many times that it should be an English guy who takes the England national team.
“It’s a big football country. They have enough quality managers and I thought maybe it’s not right for me to do that,” Wenger said of his decision to refuse the chance to manage England.
3. Manchester United
This one, more than any other offer, was likely to stir some riots. When Sir Alex Ferguson announced he would retire at the end of 2011, United’s then chairman Martin Edwards approached Wenger.
It’s important to remember that at the time Arsenal and Manchester United, were the two main forces in England. Ferguson went back on his original choice. There is no way of knowing how close Wenger was to leaving Arsenal.
When Arsenal decided to build what was to become the Emirates Stadium, they naturally needed a lot of money. The club looked to get a sizable bank loan. It is said that the banks agreed to the offer, largely based on Wenger’s reputation. The manager had not only proved successful in terms of football results. He had also shown to be a master of balancing the books and bringing the team a good profit. This would recommend Wenger as a good choice for just about any top club.
Sadly, Arsene Wenger would not go on to have a fairytale ending as Arsenal manager. Fan pressure eventually caused the him to leave the club after 22 years. Unai Emery will lead the club into the 2018/19 season. Regardless of any changes, the Premier League will be hosted through FootballCoin contests. Join for a free chance to win important cryptocurrency prizes.
