Arsene Wenger is dismayed with Arsenal’s board for issuing him an ultimatum over his future.
The 68-year-old shocked the football world when he announced yesterday that he would be stepping down as manager at the end of the season, despite having a year left on his contract.
Arsenal’s players were shocked to learn the news when the Frenchman addressed the squad in a brief speech before training.
The Times, UK, is reporting that Wenger was forced to end his 22-year reign after Arsenal’s board told him that he would be sacked at the end of the season if he did not leave on his own terms.
The newspaper reports that Wenger has been left ‘dismayed’ at the way his Arsenal career has ended on that note.
Yesterday afternoon, Arsenal’s CEO, Ivan Gazidis refused to elaborate on what the board told Wenger in the build-up to the announcement but believed the Frenchman would be impossible to replace.
“You don’t find a replacement; you find a new path forward,” he told reporters.
“When we look forward, the football club now is in a very different place than it was 22 years ago. It’s unthinkable to me that we’ll have another manager who will have a 22-year tenure
“We’re going to have a process and that the process begins today but I want to keep it in-house.
“We’ll go through a respectful process. In accordance with Arsenal values and our respect for this man, we haven’t had any discussions around that. I don’t underestimate the challenge of that.”
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