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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Darren Wells

Arsene Wenger explains why he has not been back to Arsenal since his sacking

Arsene Wenger says he has not yet returned to Arsenal since his sacking because he felt it was best to have a clean break from the club.

The Frenchman was in charge of The Gunners for 22 years, overseeing an illustrious period in their history and the move from Highbury to The Emirates.

His greatest achievement was leading Arsenal's 2004 'Invincibles' to the Premier League title without losing a match in the campaign, but that proved to be the peak of his tenure.

Wenger was eventually relieved of his duties by the Arsenal board in the summer of 2018 after failing to mount a serious challenge for the title for several seasons.

And the 70-year-old is yet to go back to the club since his exit, despite still being held in high regard there.

"I will go one day,” Wenger told The Times .

Arsene Wenger has not yet returned to Arsenal since being sacked in 2018 (EMPICS Sport)

Asked if he has been invited, he responded: "Yes. But I thought it was better to cut completely. It was difficult at the start, of course, after leading my club as long as I did. But I thought it’s better to follow from a distance."

Wenger has since thrown himself into working for FIFA as head of global football development, but admitted recently he still watches every Arsenal game on television as a fan.

Talk has also turned to the prospect of Arsenal erecting a statue in honour of his work, having won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups under his management.

But as far as his relationship with Arsenal goes, Wenger stated he now has “no connection at all with the club”.

Long before sections of Arsenal fans begun calling for Wenger to get the axe, there were suggestions he could move upstairs into an executive role to continue his good work behind the scenes.

Should Arsenal consider re-hiring Wenger in an executive role? Have your say below.

Wenger signed Arteta as a player and is open to a role assisting him behind the scenes (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

However such an offer was never forthcoming for Arsenal's most successful manager in their history.

Quizzed on why he wasn't kept on, Wenger replied: “I don’t know. I always said I would still play a part in the club, but I could understand that at the start it’s better that we take a complete distance.”

When pressed if he would have stuck around in a backroom role, his answer was certain.

“I would have done that, yes.”

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