On Sunday, Arsene Wenger will make his final trip to Old Trafford for their Premier League clash with Man United. With the Frenchman stepping down as Arsenal boss at the end of the season, Le Prof will wave farewell to one of England’s most famous stadiums.
The Gunners tactician will be remembered by the Man United crowd. His battles with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in the late 90s and early 2000s were epic, with the two bosses enduring heated run-ins at the Theatre of Dreams.
Who can forget the Battle of the Buffet in which Cesc Fabregas threw a pizza at the legendary Scottish boss after losing 2-0 to the Red Devils? Not many knew that Wenger could have been the manager of the opposing team on that day.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the weekend trip, the 68-year-old opened up about being offered the managing job at Man United during his heydays. Ferguson had announced back then that he would be retiring at the end of the 2001/02 season, throwing the 20-time Premier League champion into a frantic search for his replacement.
Arsene was one of the leading candidates to succeed Ferguson, with former Man United chairman Martin Edwards meeting the Arsenal tactician at his home in north London. Le Prof rejected the offer and Sir Alex reversed his retirement plans to remain in charge for another 11 seasons.
“Arsenal is the love of my life,” Wenger stated, as per the Independent.
“I turned many, many, many jobs down to stay here, and face the challenge when we build the stadium.”
“I speak to everybody. I met Martin Edwards. Many people came to see me in my home. But I was always, I think, loyal to this club.”
This is just another testament to Wenger’s affection for Arsenal, but his time with the club is nearing its end. Beating Man United in his final trip there would be ideal, but the Frenchman is likely to focus on their 2nd leg Europa League semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
