Revealed: Accomplished manager rejected Arsenal

Arsene Wenger managed Arsenal for over 20 years and when the Frenchman left, they looked for an accomplished manager to take over from him.

They eventually made Unai Emery their next boss after he left the same role at PSG.

The Spaniard had won multiple leagues and cups in France to add to his Europa League triumphs with Sevilla.

He looked to be the right choice, but he was fired after just over a season at the helm and a new search began.

One of the managers that were linked with a move to the Emirates at the time is former Juventus gaffer, Max Allegri.

He had left his role as the manager of the Italian champions after winning several league titles among other trophies and Arsenal wanted him.

The Italian’s mentor Giovanni Galeone just told Radio Kiss Kiss that the Gunners approached him for the Emirates job.

However, he turned down the offer to move to London because of family problems.

Galeone said: “The reason is simple: due to some serious family problems with his mother, he had to say no to major clubs. 

“Max has said no to Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid. Now he wants to go back and he wants a first-class club. He also rejected PSG.

“He rejected Real because he had previously declined the clubs already mentioned. I said to him: ‘But how can you reject such an important club?’

“Max’s response surprised me: ‘I’m not a clown. If I said no to other clubs, I can’t accept another offer after only ten days, I’m not a clown.’

“Allegri is an honest man, a gentleman and a great professional.”

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Tags Max Allegri

20 Comments

  1. Not sure if he would have made sense at the time, as he was a little too similar to Wenger with his slower build-up play, which was incredibly successful for him albeit during a time when many of the former “big” clubs were struggling to reinvent themselves…although, in most Serie A matches, he had the far superior lineup to most of his opposition, I was impressed by his tactical savviness, as he was far more flexible when it came to formational changes, so much so that it wasn’t unusual for him to make quite significant in-game tactical adjustments…the only other concern is that he’s been quite vocal about his desire to retire from managing at a relatively young age(9 years ago he said he wanted to retire in 10 years), but that might have changed now that he’s been out of the grind for a couple of years

      1. exactly

        mourinho and Ancelloti are world class experience manager

        they have won titles with Tottenham and Everton

        the same with Klopp…..Varpool is doing very well this season…they are toping the table again

        1. Cheque book Management can be a recipe for short term success, or in the case of Barca, RM and Bayern a more permanent history of winning.Ancellotti and Allegri have been successful with Clubs where, until recently, money has been readily available, but it will be interesting to see how these Clubs perform when they too are restricted by the economic effects of the Pandemic.I believe Arsenal have an excellent young Coach in Arteta, who is not the finished article when it comes to the art of Management, a skill which is developed and sharpened by hands on experience.Contrary to the views of many, I do not believe Arsenal is regarded as a Marquee Club in Global terms , and we certainly do not have the financial resources to justify such an accolade.In England they will always be regarded as a big Club because of our history of success ,but unless a Marquee Manager is guaranteed an enticing Budget, I doubt if they would jump at the Arsenal job .In any event ,thankfully, our Board and Owner seem to appreciate that After a needs time to restore our fortunes.

  2. There a good chance he will be getting a call very very soon if Arteta fails to improve the League position AND the level of performances. Let’s be real here. We are still recognised as a big big Club. We need to show ambition and we need to show that failure at this Club is not an option. The top managers will always recognise Arsenal as a Marquee Club in World Football standings, despite what some fans may feel

    1. Phil, this does prove one thing… the club were active during the period of gazidis’s role as planning for the AW exit, rather than the feeling that it was all a last minute panic appointment of UE… if this is true of course.
      It seems gazidis just might have been earning some of his money!!!!

      We should have been in Athens now, waiting for the game tomorrow… what a difference a year makes!!!

      1. What a difference indeed Ken- in regards Allegri it was widely reported that we were interested in him, but the media were suggesting we did not have the transfer funds he felt were needed to turn the Club around.
        So, if he is approached again by Arsenal, and bearing in mind he has been out of the game for a while, would he still feel the same?

        1. Phil What you say about Allegri is true. It WAS widely reported – and when such things are WIDELY reported, it generally means there is truth, not just unfounded rumours – and nothing has changed fundamentally with us, as our owner remains owner.
          No manager of the pedigree of Allegri, who was my choice (theoretically only, as I knew he would never accept under Kroenke)would ever work with no real transfer budget. Some fans fondly imagine there are a string of world famous managers who would be queuing up for the job. Not so!

          Even though I do agree with you that we are a world famous club, TOP MANAGERS LOOK TO THE PRESENT AND FUTURE THOUGH, NOT THE PAST.

      2. I do agree with that sentiment Ken…it would have been indefensible if it were discovered that no other manager was even approached prior to the Unai appointment…after all, Emery wasn’t even functionally available until long after the supposed “exhaustive” search for Wenger’s successor was underway

  3. As you know Phil, I never take much notice of the media, pundits or certain fans on JA!!!
    At the time, we were linked with every Tom, Dick and Mourinho, only for the man AW recommended in the first place to take over!!!
    As you have pointed out before, we have a squad of players who should be higher than they are at present, but I’m not sure if ANY manager would/could have done any better than MA.
    I have seen the club pulled back from the precipice with regards to the anarchy he inherited from the UE reign… along with the corona virus situation.
    Of course MA will be judged by results, as all managers are and quite rightly too.
    The players seem 100% behind him, as does the owner.
    I can’t see what changing the manager would achieve, at least until we see where we are at the end of the season.
    Would Allegri make a better manager?
    Would he be prepared to work in a self sustaining system?
    All pie in the sky questions, at least until we see how we finish up this season in my opinion… now let’s do some sightseeing as three dedicated Gooners!!!

    1. Ken, you still refuse to give Unai Emery any credit. After achieving 5th, one place higher than Arsene Wenger and the Europa League final, he was sacked in his second season with the Club sitting 8th and still in the Europa League. So much for inheriting anarchy, which was the Club and players making. The Club gave Emery no say in transfers and did not support him in regard to discipline. Where did Arsenal finish that season? In 8th place and out of the Europa League, after holding an away goal advantage. Where are Arsenal now a season later?

      1. Bloody hell Ozzie ,you ain’t goer let that one go are you buddy ..
        You talk like it was some kind of achievement to get embarrassed against Chelsea and to not be able to get one point in our last 4 games ,what you see as some kind of miracle all I see was a bloke way out of his depth ,you said he is overachieving at Villarreal ,but they finished 5th last season and now they sit 7th in probably the worst la liga season on record .
        The difference of having to judge Arteta against Emery is that Arteta as actually won something here .

      2. Hi ozziegunner
        I felt that Emery losing the dressing room was a situation all of his own making. Finishing 5th when on track for a much higher finish before the wheels fell off in Spring and the tame loss in Baku were his responsibility in the same way that some patchy results are down to Arteta now
        His handling of senior players and the fall out with Xhaka paint a picture to me of a man not in control. Arteta after declaring a clean slate, has offloaded a fair few unsuitable senior players and a cocky youngster with the camp seemingly considerably happier without them. It’s not all rosy in the garden an example of which is his admitting not selecting Saliba for the EL but I see progress as a whole and not regression. We were in a mess when Emery was relieved of his duties

  4. RVL, didn’t read your reply until I finished my lengthy post to Phil.
    As I said, the media, pundits and agents are the least places to rely on for information – I was always amazed that the spuds appointed Mourinho approximately 24 hours after sacking Poch, while it took our club what seemed months to announce successors to both AW and UE.

  5. Is allegri ready to be a shop at the basement?
    On free retiring players looking for a last big pay?
    Is he prepared for a “Sell first before you buy” model?
    Our ambition is a bit like that of Everton, Spurs, Leicester, West Ham etc..
    He better know that he is not coming to a Juventus, Bayern, Madrid, City, United, Barcelona, Chelsea, PSG 😊

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