10 most influential personalities of English football

#3 Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger’s contract expires this summer and it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll stay or go

Arsene Wenger celebrated 20 years as Arsenal manager this past week in quite some fashion with a 3-0 victory over rivals Chelsea. Before Wenger and Arsenal became the butt of many many jokes, they were a feared side in the early 2000s. In fact, whatever they achieved in that time period was all due to Wenger’s work that started in 1996 when he joined the north London side.

To put it simply, Wenger is Arsenal’s longest-serving and most decorated manager. But his successful management of a great English club isn’t his only contribution to football.

Practically unknown to football fans in England, the Frenchman revolutionised the way managers dealt with their teams. He began regulating the players’ nutrition, fitness regimen, their overall development and physical health. Every aspect of each of his players’ life was his business.

Thanks to Wenger, the days of excessive drinking were numbered in the English game. If his managerial style seemed strange to some, those doubts were silenced when he managed two doubles among numerous other trophies. While he has many detractors, Wenger has firmly stuck by his managerial philosophy and the club’s management has repaid him with their loyalty for all his contributions.