Arsene Wenger achieved many things as Arsenal manager. He won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, went undefeated across an entire league season, and changed the way football was viewed and played in England.
His legacy in the sport will never be forgotten. Not only did he bring trophies to north London, but he also helped the Gunners grow in the modern era. After all, the club's ambitious move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 would not have happened without Wenger's vision and ambition.
With that in mind, it makes sense that he would have strong opinions about other stadiums of that period. Especially when they had been built around the same time. Speaking in 2009, he claimed one newly-built ground was the 'worst pitch in the country'.
Arsene Wenger Slammed New Wembley
"It is handicapping the national team"
In 2007, just one year after the Emirates was built, England and the FA opened the new Wembley. The first official fixture of the £800m stadium saw around 60,000 supporters visit for the Three Lions' under-21 team draw 3-3 with Italy.
Wenger, however, was not impressed. Indeed, just a couple of years later, he would tear into the venue. Speaking as Arsenal manager after an FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, he said:
"This is the worst pitch. In the Premier League, it is in 21st position. It is handicapping the national team.
"Wembley is not good enough for the Champions League final or the Olympic Games. It is not good enough for the FA Cup semi-final. Why?"
Continuing on his tirade, he questioned why the pitch was so bad. He even went as far as to liken it to a bad trip to the dentist, saying:
"When you spend £800m I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for a good pitch. Everybody wanted to play at Wembley before because the pitch was so special. Now, nobody wants to play there because the pitch is bad.
"When you build a new stadium, the first priority is that the pitch is good. If that’s not right the whole stadium is bad. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend.
"I just cannot understand why the biggest stadium in England should not have a good pitch. It is a matter of respect for the fans who pay good money to watch a football game.
"Did you see a good game at Wembley on Sunday? You saw a game with very little chances. Have you seen the League Cup final? You saw a game with very little chances.
"They should reconsider the whole structure of the pitch. You can relay it every three months but you will always have a bad pitch.
"If you go to a dentist and he says, 'I have a tool but it’s from 1950', you go to a dentist with a modern instrument. Football is the same."
Arsene Wenger picking his 8 'Favourite' Arsenal stars and looking at Thierry Henry with Arsenal logo shown Related
Arsene Wenger Picked His 8 'Favourite' Arsenal Stars - Named Surprise Englishman
He overlooked some big names like Tony Adams, Robin van Persie and Mesut Ozil.
Sir Alex Ferguson Also Slammed the Turf
FA were forced to rip it up ahead of FA Cup final
Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger were both highly critical of the pitch after Manchester United and Arsenal lost their respective FA Cup semi-finals at the venue in 2009. Proving it wasn't just sour grapes, David Moyes, who made the final with Everton, would also agree with the assessment of both managers.
Under pressure, the FA ultimately decided to address the issue and decided to tear up the Wembley turf and replace it ahead of the 2009 FA Cup final (which was won by Chelsea). Stadium officials said that the new pitch would be a different composition to the ryegrass used previously, as they opted for a 'sand-soil' base, insisting that it was better suited to the stadium design.
These days, the new Wembley ground is a picture of perfection whenever played on by the England national team.