Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Arsenal entered the summer with plenty of speculation surrounding the future of manager Arsene Wenger, who was under a lot of pressure from sections of supporters and the media.
The Gunners finished the season on a high with success in the FA Cup, which many believed would be the perfect send-off to the long-serving boss, but the board handed the French boss a fresh two-year deal.
Whilst many believe the decision was purely sentimental, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insisted that was not the case and the decision was made as he ticked all the boxes. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the dramatic 4-3 win over Leicester City, he said:
“We’re in a society now where we are encouraged to throw away the old and buy the new thing which will make you happy and solve your issues. For us we thought about the issue of who we wanted to take us forward.”
“When we thought about the key qualities, they were the experience, the gravitas for a club like this, a record of success in the game. Also we wanted someone who could represent our values as a club, what we stand for in the world of football and with our fans.”
“We wanted someone who would play attacking, attractive football, that is a core part of this football club, and finally someone who would give young players a chance. We see players like Hector Bellerin, Alex Iwobi coming through, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock have had a fantastic pre-season.”
“If you look across the world of football this is a plum position, people want to be manager of Arsenal. If you look across the world of football, you don’t find better candidates than Arsene Wenger. We kept coming back to Arsene.”
“It wasn’t a sentimental decision, it wasn’t based on 20 years of history with the club although there is tremendous loyalty which comes with that. It wasn’t a decision made out of loyalty, but out of the qualities the club has and what we feel we need over the next two years to take this club forward.”
Fans will certainly be expecting a lot more from Arsenal this season after they finished outside the top-four for the first time in Wenger’s tenure last term, which means the North London side are preparing for a campaign in the Europa League.
