Arsene Wenger is regarded as the most successful manager in Arsenal history as he spent 22 years with the club.
Arguably the most important figure in modern Arsenal history, Wenger led the Gunners to 17 major trophies during his time at the club.
Most Read on Gooner News
He joined Arsenal in 1996 and spent 22 years with the club where he won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups amongst others. Wenger will go down as one of the greatest-ever Premier League managers alongside the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola.
Wenger’s playing career
For all his successes as a manager, Wenger’s playing career was relatively unremarkable. He played as a midfielder, turning out for clubs such as Mutzig, Mulhouse, ASPV Strasbourg and RC Strasbourg. His defining moment as a player came at RC Strasbourg, when he won the Ligue 1 title in 1979.
In 1981, Wenger announced his retirement as a player – three years after this, he would take on his first managerial role at Nancy.
Wenger had managerial success in France and Japan before joining Arsenal
While Wenger is best known for his achievements during his time as Arsenal manager, he arrived with an underrated pedigree. Following three years, and 122 games as manager of Nancy, he was appointed as Monaco head coach in 1987.
He picked up his first piece of major silverware in 1987, as he led Monaco to the Ligue 1 title. Following this, he won the French Cup in 1991. During his time managing the French side, he took charge of 349 games, accumulating 1.75 points per game.
He also enjoyed a successful stint as manager of Nagoya Grampus in Japan, winning the Emperor’s Cup in 1995 and the Japanese Super Cup in 1996. He spent a year-and-a-half managing the Japanese side, taking charge of 88 games.
The legendary Arsenal years
In 1996, after the brief reign of Bruce Rioch, Arsenal officially appointed Wenger as their new manager.
Wenger’s arrival at the club sparked a revolution. His disciplinarian approach brought swift results – the Gunners won the Premier League title in 1997/98, as well as the FA Cup in the same year. He would repeat this feat five years later, as they completed another Premier League/FA Cup double in 2001/02.
However, Wenger’s greatest achievement as Arsenal manager came in the 2003/04 season. The Gunners won the Premier League title without losing a single game – the team has since become immortalised as the ‘Invincibles’.
Arguably, Wenger’s time as Arsenal head coach began to deteriorate after this point. He never won the Premier League title again – despite this, he still went on to win another four FA Cups in the following 14 years.
In total, Wenger won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields during his 22-year stint with Arsenal.
What is Wenger doing now since leaving Arsenal?
The legendary manager left the club in 2019, when now Aston Villa boss Unai Emery took charge at the Emirates.
Since leaving Arsenal, Wenger was appointed as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, meaning that he is tasked with helping member nations develop talented young players for the future.
Click here to see Arsenal’s current first team squad for the 2024/25 season.