Arsenal

Arsene Wenger hits out at "unjustified" abuse during final season at Arsenal

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 20 October 2020

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger opens up the "unjustified" abuse he received from some of the club's fans during his final season as Gunners manager.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has lifted the lid on the "unjustified" abuse he was on the receiving end of during his final days as Gunners manager.

The illustrious Frenchman stepped down from his Emirates post in 2018 after 22 years in North London, where Wenger led Arsenal to three Premier League triumphs and seven FA Cups.

However, the 70-year-old's final year with the Gunners was a troublesome time for Wenger, with many fans calling for him to leave and feeling that the former Monaco manager had outstayed his welcome in the capital.

Now, Wenger has opened up on those dark times as Arsenal manager, telling The Guardian: "The hostility of a section of the fans and the board was unjustified.

"I felt as if I'd built the training centre and the stadium myself brick by brick... it was very hard, very brutal. Arsenal was a matter of life and death to me, and without it there were some very lonely, very painful moments.

"When you drive home after a defeat, and you think about the number of people who are destroyed, you have a sense of responsibility, of guilt.

"I believe there is no other way for a manager than to identify completely with the club, and to behave like he owns it."

Wenger took charge of 1,235 competitive games for Arsenal - recording 707 wins, 280 draws and 248 losses between 1996 and 2018.