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Frenchman determined to put aside connection he feels to Monaco where he spent seven seasons in charge – at the 'crazy' club that 'gave me a chance'
After 1,485 games, 32 years, 12 trophies, five clubs, three countries, two continents and one relegation, it is rare for Arsène Wenger to be confronted with a new experience in his coaching career. Tonight, though, fate has conspired to present him with a first competitive fixture against a former club. It is not just any ex-employer, either.
While it sometimes feels like Wenger has been at Arsenal for a lifetime, his seven seasons at AS Monaco actually also make him the longest serving post-war manager of Tuesday night's Champions Leaguevisitors to the Emirates Stadium.
Wenger yesterday described Monaco as the “crazy” club that “gave me a chance” even if ultimately they were also the club that blocked a dream move to Bayern Munich and still sacked him several weeks later.
In-between, there was a French league title, a French Cup, a European final and a Champions League semi-final, all achieved in an era that became stained by the stench of Monaco’s fiercest rivals, Olympique Marseille, being found to have bribed opposition players.
Wenger said yesterday that the Monaco experience, notably being sacked, had only strengthened him. He looked almost offended by the suggestion that he would pause to feel any nostalgia tonight.
“I am competitive and, as much as I respect Monaco, I am focused on my job,” he said. “If I play against my brother it’s the same. I give my best. Our job is all about tomorrow. I have never stopped working. I have never had the time to reflect.”
After about 20 minutes of cajoling at Arsenal’s training ground yesterday lunchtime, Wenger did finally relent and it was obvious that the Monaco experience remains vividly imprinted on his mind.
He said that “without doubt” he would feel more emotional when he returns to the Côte d’Azur next month. He also acknowledged that, for all his dedication both to Monaco and Arsenal, he has been deeply fortunate.
“They are the two clubs who have been crazy enough to let me work,” he said. “They had to be brave because it wasn’t obvious for Monaco to take me on or for Arsenal to employ me. In life you have to take you chance when you get your chance.”
Wenger was a promising 38-year-old manager at Nancy when he got that first big opportunity but, as fate would have it, the chance to manage Paris St-Germain came along at the same time.
His previous experience working for nearby Cannes with Richard Conte was instrumental in him choosing Monaco and they were soon near-neighbours in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Conte, the Cannes general manager, recalled in Xavier Rivoire’s biography of Wenger how they would spend long evenings talking about nothing but football. Others remember how Wenger would spend almost every waking hour at Monaco’s ‘La Turbie’ mountain training base.
“All he had in his flat was a bed, a settee and his television,” one former colleague said. “It was always in a right state. He’d never attempt to keep it tidy. His office had video cassettes strewn around the floor.”
The dressing room was also gradually filled with outstanding players. Glenn Hoddle and Mark Hateley arrived from the UK. French greats including Lilian Thuram and Emmanuel Petit were developed. A world great in George Weah was unearthed.
Monaco became French champions in Wenger’s first season and would finish in the top three in the five subsequent years but Bernard Tapie’s Marseille generally beat them in their domestic head-to-head.
Wenger said yesterday that he had “strong, intelligent” players at Monaco but there were also lasting scars. The 1992 European Cup Winners’ Cup final against Werder Bremen became overshadowed by a tragedy on the eve of the match when and 18 fans died and a further 2,300 were injured when two stands collapsed during a French Cup match involving Marseille and Bastia.
“A haunting night,” Wenger said. “The night before I didn’t sleep. It was catastrophic.”
There was also what became known as the ‘Affair L’OM’. That also kept Wenger awake at night and, although there is only one proven case – relating to a match against Valenciennes in 1993 when Marseille offered three players bribes to “take their foot off the gas” – Wenger believes Monaco could have won two more championships in what he called “normal circumstances”.
The 1993-94 season ended with Monaco finishing outside the top three under Wenger for the first time. It was then that Bayern Munich made their move. Monaco resisted but Wenger was sacked after a poor start to the 1994-95 season.
Did he feel betrayed? “No. In my job you have to accept the rules of the games. I survived. It’s a good experience.”
Wenger has maintained links with Monaco and his advice has been sought over recent years on the owners’ current strategy.
After conceding costly, first-leg goals in four consecutive defeats at this stage of the Champions League, Wenger is especially conscious of Monaco’s counter-attacking threat. “Monaco is like a reptile,” he said. “They will wait for us, absorb our game, and try to kill us.”
Yet Wenger also clearly senses an opportunity. Monaco are not in the same elite category as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munichwhile Arsenal are also a rather different proposition with the additions in the past two seasons of Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil and Danny Welbeck.
“I believe we are in a better shape – more belief,” he said. “As a team that we are on the way up and we can use the Champions League to confirm that. I look around Europe and there are 10 teams who believe they can win it.” Wenger clearly counts Arsenal among those.
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