Today, we will be discussing a name that will be recognisable to any fans of football, let alone supporters of Arsenal football club – Arsene Wenger.

Arguably the most important figure in modern Arsenal history, Wenger led the Gunners to 17 major trophies during his time at the club.

We’ll be undergoing a deep dive on the great man in this piece – we’ll be looking at his time as Arsenal head coach, as well as his playing career and managerial career before he moved to North London.

Wenger’s playing career

For all his successes as a manager, Wenger’s playing career was relatively unremarkable. He played as a midfielder, turning out for clubs such as Mutzig, Mulhouse, ASPV Strasbourg and RC Strasbourg. His defining moment as a player came at RC Strasbourg, when he won the Ligue 1 title in 1979.

In 1981, Wenger announced his retirement as a player – three years after this, he would take on his first managerial role at Nancy.

Wenger’s managerial career before Arsenal

While Wenger is best known for his achievements during his time as Arsenal manager, he arrived with an underrated pedigree. Following three years as manager of Nancy, he was appointed as Monaco head coach in 1987.

He picked up his first piece of major silverware in 1987, as he led Les Rouge et Blanc to the Ligue 1 title. Following this, he won the French Cup in 1991.

He also enjoyed a successful stint as manager of Nagoya Grampus in Japan, winning the Emperor’s Cup in 1995 and the Japanese Super Cup in 1996.

Wenger as Arsenal manager

In 1996, after the brief reign of Bruce Rioch, Arsenal officially appointed Wenger as their new manager. Due to his unfamiliarity to fans of English football, the announcement was met with mixed responses [via The Guardian].

Wenger’s arrival at the club sparked a revolution. He outlawed partying, junk food and casual drinking – despite the Frenchman’s personal love of red wine.

His disciplinarian approach brought swift results – the Gunners won the Premier League title in 1997/98, as well as the FA Cup in the same year. He would repeat this feat five years later, as they completed another Premier League/FA Cup double in 2001/02.

However, Wenger’s greatest achievement as Arsenal manager came in the 2003/04. In that season, the Gunners won the Premier League title without losing a single game – the team has since become immortalised as the ‘Invincibles’.

Arguably, Wenger’s time as Arsenal head coach began to deteriorate after this point. He never won the Premier League title again – despite this, he still went on to win another four FA Cups in the following 14 years.

In total, Wenger won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields during his 22-year stint with Arsenal. His attractive, passing style of play changed football in England forever – not to mention the training methods and culture he brought along with him.

Post-Arsenal

When Wenger drew the curtain on his time as Arsenal head coach, he retired from managing. Instead, he joined FIFA – he is their current Chief of Global Football Development.