French · Strasbourg · Born 22 October 1949The Professor — revolutionary Arsenal manager who transformed English football with his approach to nutrition, training and attacking play.
Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger was born in Strasbourg in 1949 and had a modest playing career before moving into management. He managed Nancy (1984–87) and Monaco (1987–94) — winning Ligue 1 in 1988 — before a spell at Nagoya Grampus Eight (1995–96). His appointment at Arsenal in 1996 transformed English football: he introduced sports science, nutrition and continental pressing to the Premier League. He won 3 Premier League titles and 7 FA Cups across 22 seasons (1996–2018). His 2003–04 Arsenal side became the only team in Premier League history to complete a 38-game season unbeaten — the Invincibles, who went 49 league matches without defeat overall. He signed Bergkamp, Henry, Vieira, Pires and Fabregas — creating two distinct great Arsenal sides. He made 1,235 appearances as Arsenal manager, winning 676, drawing 280 and losing 279. He managed 175 Champions League matches. He left in May 2018 after 22 years. He was FIFA Chief of Global Football Development from 2019. His philosophy of attractive, attacking football and his role in developing young players across Europe changed the sport fundamentally.
Creating Arsenal's 'Invincibles' team that went unbeaten for entire 2003-04 Premier League season
How They Played
Promoted attacking, technical football with emphasis on youth development and intelligent movement
Lasting Impact
Transformed English football with emphasis on nutrition, sports science, and technical development while discovering numerous world-class talents
Career Honours
- Premier League 1998, 2002, 2004 (Arsenal – unbeaten)
- FA Cup 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2017
- Invincibles 2003–04 (49 unbeaten league games)
- Ligue 1 1988
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Nancy | 1984–1987 | |
| Monaco | 1987–1994 | |
| Nagoya Grampus | 1995–1996 | |
| Arsenal | 1996–2018 |
French Athletes