FORMER Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that staying at the club for 22 years was a mistake.
The Frenchman left the Emirates earlier this summer after over two decades at the helm.
He won three Premier Leagues and seven FA Cup titles while at the club though came in for criticism towards the end of his tenure.
A ‘Wenger Out’ campaign started as Gunners fans became frustrated at the club regularly failing to compete for the league title.
Having reached just one Champions League final during Wenger’s time, supporters also became frustrated at an inability to win a European trophy.
And now Wenger has surprisingly admitted he made a mistake by staying with Arsenal for as long as he did.
When asked by French radio station RTL his biggest mistake, Wenger responded: “Perhaps staying at the same club for 22 years.
“I’m someone who likes to move around a lot, but I also like a challenge. I’ve been a prisoner of my own challenge at times.”
He added: “I regret having sacrificed everything I did because I realise I’ve hurt a lot of people around me. I’ve neglected a lot of people.
“I’ve neglected my family, I’ve neglected many close ones. Deep down though, the obsessed man is selfish in his pursuit of what he loves. He ignores a lot of other things. But it’s a bone to chase at the same time.
“Often, I’m asked if Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira will be good managers and I always answer yes. They have all the qualities; they’re intelligent, they know football, they have excellent skillset, but do they want to sacrifice what needs to be sacrificed. It’s an obsession which bounces around your head day and night.
“You wake up at 3am thinking about team selection, tactics, formation…”
Spaniard Unai Emery has replaced Wenger at the Emirates and won his first pre-season friendly on Saturday as the Gunners beat Boreham Wood 8—0.
Emery has already begun work on shaping his own Arsenal squad, with Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokrates, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira having all arrived at the Emirates.
But the new boss is keen to remember the hard work Wenger put in at Arsenal.
“I said at the first press conference at the Emirates, for me I have high respect for Arsene,” said Emery.
“In Nyon every year, he spoke and the other coaches were quiet and listened to him.
“I am going to do my work here, but respecting many, many things here that he did well.”
And when asked what he’ll do next he said: “I’m asking myself the same question!
“Do I keep doing what I’ve been doing, what I know. Or do I share all the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years in a slightly different way?
“That’s the question I need to answer in the next few months.”
Source:www.express.co.uk