Why I would never be Arsenal’s director of football- Arsene Wenger

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed why he would never take a role as a director of football – either at the Emirates Stadium or anywhere else.

The 70-year-old, who is now FIFA’s head of Global Football Development, left day-to-day management in 2018 after more than two decades in charge at the Gunners, and while there has regularly been spculation that he could return to club football since then, he does not believe that such a position would suit him.

Wenger did, however, confess that he may consider a different role.

“I would have considered being on the board at Arsenal as an adviser,” he told The Guardian in response to a question asked by long-time rival Jose Mourinho.

“I believe that honestly there is a deficit of knowledge in the big clubs of top, top-level competition and games of top-level sport. And I believe we have seen recently that there are many ways to be successful in football.

“For example, there’s the Bayern [Munich] way, where the whole success and continuity relies on people who know the values of the club, and they transfer that from generation to generation: Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinze Rummenigge.

“Or there are models in England of quick money and quick success. Both can work. I like the fact that a club is first an identity and has knowledge that is transferred from generation to generation. So that’s why I saw things that way.”

Meanwhile, Wenger was asked what advice he would pass on to Mikel Arteta, who is present in charge of first-team affairs with the north London side.

“To continue to have a grip on the team, as he has at the moment. And to go to the end of his beliefs,” he said. “I think there is a good team spirit and they have a good chance to do well. I believe it will not be very difficult to improve on the number of points they got last season, but I’m convinced Arsenal can be in the top four, if not more. Why not more?

“They can be the surprise package for me this year: they bought well, they strengthened the defence well, and they kept the players who were already there. In my last year I bought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, they kept him. They have every ingredient and no real weakness.”

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