Arsene Wenger clarifies ‘not my decision’ comment
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ByEurosport
Published 25/04/2018 at 19:46 GMT
Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify comments made earlier on Wednesday when he appeared to indicate that the decision to leave Arsenal “wasn’t really my decision”.
Arsene Wenger
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal sent shockwaves through football when it was announced last week that Wenger would be stepping down after 22 years as manager of the club.
Reports suggested that Frenchman decided to quit rather than be sacked by the board at the end of the season, despite having another year left on his contract.
And speaking ahead of the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, which comes at home on Thursday night, Wenger said the news was forced upon him.
"The timing wasn’t really my decision," he admitted. "For the rest, I have spoken about it already."
However, Arsenal released a statement on Twitter indicating that Wenger was referring to the time of the announcement rather than the actual decision.
“After reaching agreement about my departure, I was happy for the club to decide when to announce. I wish to make it clear the timing of the announcement was right,” Wenger said.
Wenger also said he was focused on trying to win Arsenal's remaining games of the season, starting with the Atleti match, rather than thinking about what comes next.
“At the moment, no,” he said when asked if it felt surreal. “I keep my routine. I focus on what I have to do every day and prepare well for the game. It will be surreal for me when I don’t work. At the moment I work, as ever.
You’re never sure you do the right thing, but life is interesting as well because you have to deal with different kinds of situations. Until now, I’ve had a life full of different experiences and some very difficult to deal with. But I always did it, and this is another one I will certainly face one day.
Asked specifically about the credentials of former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique to replace him at Emirates Stadium, Wenger replied:
I have a high opinion of him. But I don’t want to influence the job for the next manager.
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