MX23RW : Tuesday, November 5 05:51:27| >> :120:41394:41394:

Arsene Wenger admits he regrets not leaving Arsenal earlier

Arsene Wenger admits he regrets not leaving Arsenal earlier
© Reuters
Arsenal's most successful manager in history Arsene Wenger admits that he 'regrets' not leaving the club back in 2007 following the Kroenkes' introduction.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed he 'regrets' not leaving the North London club back in 2007.

The illustrious Frenchman guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during his 22 years in charge but departed in 2018 following pressure from sections of the club's fanbase.

Wenger turned down opportunities from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United to stay loyal to Arsenal, but the 72-year-old has now admitted that remaining in North London was not the best decision following the Kroenkes' welcome.

Speaking in his Arsene Wenger: Invincible documentary, Wenger said: "2007 was a decisive point, It's the first time I could feel there were tensions inside the board.

"David Dein had an agreement with Stan Kroenke, who he wanted to bring in. I was torn between being loyal to the club and being loyal to David.

"I still today wonder if I did the right thing, because life was never exactly the same after. I thought, I now have to go to the end of this project. I could have gone to the French national team, the English national team twice or three times even.

"I could have gone twice to Real Madrid, I could have gone to Juventus, to Paris Saint-Germain, even to Man United. My fatal flaw is that I love too much where I am...where I was.

"I regret. I should have gone somewhere else. I identified myself completely with the club and that was the mistake I made. Now there is no special reason for me to go there. All the rest is purely emotional and that is less important."

Wenger steered Arsenal to three FA Cups post-2007 but could only muster a fifth-placed Premier League finish with the Gunners during his farewell 2017-18 season.

ID:469600:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect2193:

Click here for more stories about Arsene Wenger

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Arsene Wenger watches on during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal on August 27, 2017
Read Next:
Ex-United chief: 'Wenger was our top choice'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Buccaneers
@
Chiefs
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!