At the end of the 2017/18 campaign, legendary coach Arsene Wenger called a day to his turbulent yet wonderful spell with Arsenal after over two decades. The French boss held over the club’s helm for 22 years to be precise, and guaranteed them a top four finish and elite European football in 21 seasons while the Europa League was delivered in his last.
The 68 year old eventually left the club after coming under pressure from several fans due to old and outdated tactics coupled with poor results. Though while announcing his exit, Wenger did indicate that he would have stayed for another year had the fans been warmer towards him.
Additionally, a few months back former Arsenal player Jack Wilshere also spoke about how Arsene Wenger’s announcement seemed like a sacking and the lasting impact that it had on the players to see his unexpected departure. Another ex-Arsenal player in Per Mertesacker has now spoken about Wenger’s exit.
While speaking to Spox, Mertesacker pointed a finger towards the players for their rash attitude. “That was very surprising for all of us. He came into the meeting room and said that together with the bosses he had decided to quit the end of the season. It was a sad moment because I felt like I’d done my part. His departure was the fault of us players because we had many opportunities to get better results. We failed while he always stood in front of us. I felt the need to be the first to speak, and expressed my deep regret. It was important for him to see that as a team we have something to say and stand for.”
Wenger’s successor Unai Emery has already built a stronger and new looking squad at the club and has been delivering the results functionally. After having lost his first two matches in charge of the club, Emery’s side is now on a three match winning run in the Premier League and plays Ukrainian club Vorksla.
