Legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he "always" insisted on a clause in his contracts that stated there would be no boardroom interference after it emerged that Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly addressed the squad following Saturday's defeat against Brighton.
Boehly, who purchased the club alongside Clearlake Capital back in May, has been in the spotlight after it was confirmed earlier this week that he regular frequents the Chelsea dressing room.
The Blues are currently languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League and appointed Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season after dispensing with the services of former head coach Graham Potter earlier this month.
Lampard has endured a rotten start to his second stint in charge at Stamford Bridge, though, and has now lost all four of his matches after the Londoners succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid on Tuesday night: a result which confirmed their elimination from the Champions League.
But it's the actions of Boehly following Saturday's loss against Brighton which has sparked concern, with reports claiming he laid into the Chelsea squad over their "embarrassing" plight.
Wenger, who was analysing the Blues' match against Real Madrid for BeIN Sport, made it clear that he wouldn't have tolerated such interference and always insisted on a clause which would allow him full control during his time at Arsenal. He said of interference from above: "No, I wouldn’t [tolerate it], that was always clear in my mind.
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"I always put that in my contract. The advice I give to young coaches when they make contracts, I say make what is important for you, put that clearly in your contract that you are the only one, nobody can buy a player without your agreement, nobody can interfere with the team, and you are solely responsible for managing the team.
"After that you stand in a different way because usually when a club wants you, you are in a strong position. Once you’ve lost three games and you want to put that in a contract it’s already more difficult."
Wenger spent over two decades at the helm in north London and is widely acknowledged as one of Arsenal's greatest ever managers. The 73-year-old, who now works for FIFA, guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and a staggering seven FA Cup triumphs.
The Frenchman left his role after 22 years at the end of the 2017/18 campaign and revealed last year that he turned down "many clubs" throughout his illustrious tenure due to his loyalty to Arsenal.
Speaking back in September, Wenger said: "No, I haven't been [at Arsenal], I think you know after 22 years maybe I arrived at the end of the road and people wanted a change, I can understand.
"I must say I always loyal to the club and turned many many clubs down because I felt like my life was linked with the club. The club has chosen a different direction, that I can understand completely and sometimes you need to change completely and have a new start."
