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Arsene Wenger has opened up on his post-Arsenal future, hinting that he will make an immediate return to football management.
The Frenchman is not interested in an extended break from the game despite an arduous 22-year reign in North London.
He already has a number of opportunities on the table which he will consider over the summer months, but is currently leaning towards staying in a head coach or managerial role rather than moving to a general manager or director of football one.
“I don’t look very good on the beach,” he joked. “How long would I like to work for? As long as I feel I want to. But overall people look at your age and make an issue of it. It becomes a bit of discrimination. They don’t really look how you work and perform. They look ‘oh he is old’. I can understand that as I thought the same when I was young.
“I like the English saying: ‘you have to live every day like it is your last’ and one day you will be right.
“I have not made the decision so at the moment I would say yes [I’d like to stay in day to day management], spontaneously yes. But maybe with a distance I will think: ‘no, maybe it’s a time to change a little bit of direction.’ Honestly, I can’t give you an answer. I don’t know.
“But I enjoy going out there every day, of course. You know I didn’t miss a training session in 22 years, I never stayed in my office. Every day I was out there. That is something that I will miss.
“I keep myself fit, I can still play! If I was really objective then I would pick myself every week. We have staff games. I don’t play with the players, they are a bit too quick for me.”
Wenger, who leaves after Sunday’s final game at Huddersfield, admits he has a near empty office and has not collected mementos.
“I gave a lot away. My office is quite empty, I have not a lot to take out. I’m always more looking forward. This has been a fantastic period for me, I have to turn the page and go for the next challenge.”
Wenger wants Arsenal to keep his staff under their new management.
“Of course,” he said. “But of course people who come in also want their own staff, that’s about finding the right adjustment. Personally, I always tried to have a local person, who knows the culture, who knows the habits, the tradition and makes sure you don’t make the mistakes.
“It should be a chance for Steve Bould to stay like Pat Rice did. But that’s not my decision.”
What would Wenger change about English football?
“I think the fact that you lost a little bit of the tradition inside the club,” he said. “In what way? Looking around a little bit the spirit of togetherness inside the clubs, around the clubs has a bit dropped.
“What I would change as well is that I would go straight away to VAR. Personally I think the game has gone in a positive development. Maybe for a really fair competition the difference in financial potential between the first and last team is a big too big. That is maybe a danger for the future.”
Arsenal make the trip to Leicester City on Wednesday night in Wenger’s penultimate game in charge with their outgoing manager admitting he may rest several players. He confirmed on Tuesday that defender Laurent Koscielny will now be out for six months as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
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