Arsène Wenger – his Arsenal career in pictures

Arsène Wenger looks onwards and upwards, as he always has during his 13 years in charge at Arsenal Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

October 1996: Wenger is appointed Arsenal manager following Bruce Rioch’s sacking. A virtual unknown in English football, Wenger had much to prove when he moved from Japan to north London Photograph: Dave Cheskin/PA Archive/Press Association Ima

October 1996: Wenger selects a side comprising 10 British players and one from overseas, Patrick Vieira, who had been bought on Wenger’s recommendation, for his first game in charge, a 2-0 win against Blackburn Photograph: Action Images

May 1997: Wenger’s first season in charge sees the Gunners finish third, missing out on Champions League qualification on goal difference to Newcastle Photograph: Action Images

May 1998: In Wenger's second season Arsenal win both the Premier League and the FA Cup, only the second Double in the club’s history Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

1998: Wenger signs Freddie Ljungberg from Halmstads BK for £3m Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics Sport

May 1999: Wenger’s side are denied back-to-back titles by Manchester United. The Gunners lost out to their rivals by a single point Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

August 1999: Wenger controversially pays £10.5m to sign Thierry Henry from Juventus Photograph: Jon Buckle/Empics Sport

August 1999: Wenger sells Nicolas Anelka – a player he signed for £500,000 just two years earlier – to Real Madrid for £23m Photograph: Andrea Comas/Reuters

May 2000: Wenger guides Arsenal to their first Uefa Cup final, but sees his side go down 4-1 on penalties to Galatasaray Photograph: Lutz Bongarts/Bongarts/Getty Images

May 2001: Two late Michael Owen goals deny Arsenal their second FA Cup win of Wenger’s reign Photograph: Kieran Doherty/Reuters

April 2002: Wenger’s side surge to a spectacular Double, finishing 12 points clear of Liverpool and clinching the trophy at Old Trafford against Manchester United Photograph: Darren Walsh/Action Images

May 2002: Arsenal overcome Chelsea 2-0 in the FA Cup final Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport

May 2003: Back-to-back titles elude the Gunners once again as they finish five points behind champions Manchester United, although Wenger wins the FA Cup for the third time Photograph: Mike Egerton/Empics Sports

May 2004: Arsenal complete an unbeaten title campaign, eclipsing Nottingham Forest’s long-standing run of league games without defeat. Wenger’s side are labelled the Invincibles Photograph: Tom Jenkins

October 2004: The club’s 49-game unbeaten run comes to an end as they go down 2-0 to Manchester United. Wenger is fined £15,000 for calling United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy 'a cheat' in a post-match television interview Photograph: Darren Walsh/Action Images

February 2005: Wenger names a squad featuring no English players for a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace. He is lambasted by sections of the public, media and football authorities Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

May 2005: Wenger wins the FA Cup for the fourth time, defeating Manchester United on penalties at the Millennium Stadium Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics

May 2006: The Gunners make it all the way to the Champions League final, but lose 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris Photograph: Tom Jenkins

July 2006: Arsenal move to the Emirates Stadium, a project that Wenger was passionate about Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

September 2007: Wenger signs a contract extension until 2011, quashing rumours that he is to leave the club Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

May 2009: Defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final ensures that Arsenal go a fourth successive season without a trophy Photograph: Tom Jenkins

October 2009: Wenger celebrates replacing George Allison as the longest-serving manager in Arsenal’s history. 'The only thing that is interesting to me is the future; always turning to the next game and showing you have improved' Photograph: Tom Jenkins