The outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is currently being inundated with job offers after finally closing the door on his career with the Gunners, and yesterday he told the media about some previous offers that he had refused while he was still the Arsenal boss. “When we built the [Emirates] stadium the banks asked me to commit for five years,” Wenger explained.
“The first time [Real Madrid called] it was inside the five years and I thought no I could not do that, that would betray my club.
“Real Madrid I think I turned down two or three times you know. It’s one of the teams I loved when I was a kid.
“I just felt that it was a very sensitive period for Arsenal.
“You are always tempted to go to Real Madrid because they offered me the chance to take control of the whole club.
“At the end of the day, I said no once, twice. I turned so many clubs down you could believe it, but I was happy where I was.”
Le Prof was also headhunted to become the England manager on a few occasions, but he revealed that he turned that job down for completely different reasons. “I turned them down two or three times,” Wenger said.
“But at that time the daily involvement for me was important.
“I have said many times that it should be an English guy who takes the England national team.
“It’s a big football country they have enough quality managers and I thought maybe it’s not right for me to do that.”
It certainly would have seemed strange to see Wenger in charge of England, but I think he would be much more likely to accept the top job for France one day. They would certainly have more chance of winning things, don’t you think?
Admin