Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger, born 22 October 1949 in Strasbourg, commonly known as Arsène Wenger, is a French football manager, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996. He is the most successful manager in the history of Arsenal in terms of trophies and is also the club's longest-serving manager.Wenger was the first non-British manager to win the Double in England, having done so in 1998 and 2002. In 2004, he became the only manager in FA Premier League history to go through the entire season undefeated. Wenger is widely regarded as one of the world's best managers after the success he has enjoyed at AS Monaco and Arsenal. He has been dubbed the "miracle worker" by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, for his visionary management skills and achievements in football.Wenger has a degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in economics from Strasbourg University and is fluent in French, German and English; he also speaks some Italian, Spanish and Japanese.
Early life and ventures
The son of Alphonse and wife Louise Wenger, Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger was born in Strasbourg and grew up in the nearby village of Duttlenheim with an older sister and brother, Guy.[8] His parents owned an automobile spare-parts business in Strasbourg, as well as a bistro in Duttlenheim called La Croix d'Or. Speaking of his upbringing above La Croix d'Or, he stated in an address to the League Managers Association:
Wenger is married to former basketball player Annie Brosterhous, with whom he has one daughter, Léa[8] (born 1997), and currently lives in Totteridge, London. He is also a world brand ambassador for FIFA World Cup sponsor Castrol, and as part of his arrangement has conducted several training camps for international youth teams worldwide, as well as advising and providing input to the Castrol Performance Index, FIFA's official ratings system, used for gauging player ratings at official FIFA tournaments, ever since the system's inception.He has also authored a book on football management exclusively for the Japanese market, Shōsha no Spirit (勝者のエスプリ, Shōsha no Esupuri?, lit. The Spirit of Conquest in English and L'esprit conquérant in French), published by Japan Broadcast Publishing (a subsidiary of NHK) in September 1997, in which he highlights his managerial philosophy, ideals and values, as well as his thoughts on Japanese football and the game as a whole.
Early career
Wenger spent much of his youth playing football and organizing matches at the village team, FC Duttlenheim, where he made the first team at 16 and was subsequently recruited to nearby third division club AS Mutzig by the team's manager Max Hild, who would go on to become his mentor, advising Wenger on managerial decisions later in his career, and whose team had been noted for playing the "best amateur football" in Alsace. Wenger's playing career was modest. He played as a defender for various amateur clubs, while studying at the Institut Européen d'Etudes Commerciales Supérieures de Strasbourg of Robert Schuman University, where he completed a master's degree in 1971. Wenger turned professional in 1978, making his debut for RC Strasbourg against Monaco. He only made twelve appearances for the team, including two as they won the Ligue 1 title in 1978–79, and played once in the UEFA Cup in the same season. In 1981, he obtained a manager's diploma and was appointed the coach of the club's youth team. After his stint at Strasbourg, Wenger joined AS Cannes as assistant manager in 1983.
Personal information
Full name: Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger
Date of birth: 22 October 1949 (1949-10-22)
Place of birth: Strasbourg, France
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Playing position: Sweeper
Club information
Current club: Arsenal (manager)
Youth career
0000–1969 FC Duttlenheim
1969–1973 AS Mutzig
Senior career*
1973–1975 Mulhouse 56 (4)
1975–1978 ASPV Strasbourg 80 (20)
1978–1981 RC Strasbourg 11 (0)
Total 147 (24)
Teams managed
1984–1987 Nancy-Lorraine
1987–1994 Monaco
1995–1996 Nagoya Grampus Eight
1996– Arsenal
