April 20, 2018//-After nearly 22 years in the Arsenal manager’s chair Arsene Wenger on Friday announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Here is a look at how fellow managers and players reacted to Wenger’s announcement today.
SIR ALEX FERGUSON, former Manchester United boss: “I am really happy for Arsene Wenger. I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal. It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job that he loves. In an era where football managers sometimes only last one or two seasons, it shows what an achievement it is to serve that length of time at a club the size of Arsenal.”
PEP GUARDIOLA, Manchester City: “He is a huge personality. The Premier League is the Premier League thanks to what he has done. These people are necessary in football. It was a pleasure to compete against him. I wish him all the best in the future. Hopefully he can be involved in the game in a different way.”
JOSE MOURINHO, Manchester United: “I am really happy for him. I am pretty sure that we as a club, and especially because Mr Wenger and Arsenal were for many years the biggest rivals of Sir Alex’s era, will show Mr Wenger the respect he deserves.”
RAFAEL BENITEZ, Newcastle Manager: “I have been talking well about Arsene Wenger for quite a while. When he came here to England, to do things in the way he did and win in the way he was winning, was a massive achievement.
“His behaviour has always been good. He is an example for everyone, but especially a foreign manager like me. He was fighting and winning before me, and it was really difficult to do that. He did really well.
“I think it is the last time we will see this (a manager be in charge of a leading club for 22 years). There is so much money in football now that everyone wants things quickly and want to change things after a couple of bad results, we saw that ourselves when we had a bad run.
“The reality is that you have to be patient and have an idea and a plan. If you stick with the plan you have more chances to do well and that is what he did for 22 years.”
ANTONIO CONTE, Chelsea: “I think we must pay tribute to Arsene Wenger for his career. He and [Sir Alex] Ferguson, we are talking about the last two managers to stay for such long time at a club. Twenty-two years for Arsenal, it is great. It is fantastic and a fantastic story.
He won a lot with the club and for that reason he deserves a great tribute. As a manager he had a great influence on football. He tried to play good football, play creative football and offensive football. He deserves a great tribute.”
DAVID MOYES, West Ham (who play Arsenal on Sunday): “He’s been a great competitor, a terrific manager who has graced the Premier League for many years. He’s a proper football man who lives and breathes it. To do 22 years is an incredible achievement.”
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