Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Jamie Braidwood

Arsene Wenger returns to Arsenal for first time since leaving club

Amazon Video

Arsene Wenger has returned to Arsenal for the first time since leaving the club four years ago.

Wenger, who managed Arsenal between 1996 to 2018, was in the crowd for Arsenal’s Boxing Day match against West Ham.

The 73-year-old led Arsenal to three Premier League titles, including an unbeaten season, but had previously said he did not plan to watch his former club after departing.

But the Frenchman was at the Emirates Stadium after receiving an invitation from Arsenal’s board, as the Gunners returned to action following the World Cup.

Arsenal have made their best ever start to a Premier League season under current manager Mikel Arteta and they were top of the table on Christmas Day for the first time since 2007.

The club have not won the Premier League since Wenger’s last title in 2004.

Arteta said last season that he would like Wenger to return to the club. The Spaniard said: “I think he would have a great time just seeing the environment that he can create around him when he’s around this place.

“That is because of the respect, admiration and love that everybody at the club has for what he’s done and for what he represents as a person in this club.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.