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Arsene Wenger Photo By http://www.postproduktie.nl,

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Arsene Wenger

Arsene Charles Ernest Wenger mostly known as Arsene Wenger was born on October 22, 1949, in Strasbourg, Alsace. He is the son of Alphonse (father) and Louise Wenger (mother). He is the third born and last born amongst his two older siblings and they grew up together in Duppigheim during the 1950s.

His parents were the owners of an automobile spare parts business and bistro named La Croix d’Or. According to his book ‘My Life in Red and White,’ he says that the bistro and the violence of its customers were the reason for him to get interested in psychology.

Wenger started to know football when he was young since his dad (Alphonse) was the manager of the local village team and he introduced him to football when Wenger was about six years old. He joined AS Mutzig when he was 20 years old and was the first professional club he joined, which was a third-tier team in French football. It took him some time to become a professional footballer.

1. Arsene Wenger Played Mostly for Amateur Clubs

Wenger’s father was the manager of the local village team and he introduced his son to football. Arsene started his career back in 1969. The first club he joined as a third division side Mutzig, a club famous for playing the best amateur football in Alsace. He was an important member of the squad but he had to wait longer before turning professional.

Arsene mostly played as a sweeper-defender in all of his clubs. When he was playing for Mutzig, he became friends with Max Hild who was the club manager. Since then, Hild persisted in bringing him to every club he managed later on. Some of the other Amateur football clubs he has played for include ASPV Strasbourg, Rc Strasbourg, and Mulhouse among others.

2. Holds a Degree in Economics from Strasbourg University

Arsene Wenger Photo By http://www.postproduktie.nl,

Wenger was learned despite him being famously known as a footballer. Back in the year 1971, he enrolled at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of Strasbourg to study politics and economics.

He later joined the semi-professional club Mulhouse in 1973 and balanced his football career with his education. A year later Arsene completed his studies and attain a degree in economics.

3. Elected Coach for Different Clubs

Wenger did not get much attention to his managerial skill when he first starts coaching teams. His first managerial job was given by AS Cannes a Ligue 2 club, where he was the assistant manager. After one year he joined the Nancy team, and he became the head coach after being recommended by Aldo Platini’s. Wenger helped Nancy finish 12^th in the league, at the end of the 1984-85 season, three places higher than in the previous campaign.

From the Nancy team, his next coaching destination was in Japan. In January 1995, he joined Nagoya Grampus Eight, which was a Japanese club. He hired Boro Primorac, Valencienne’s former manager, as his assistant. He coached the Japanese club for one and half years and won the national cup competition and Emperor’s Cup in his first season, in 1995, he received the J-League Manager of the Year award.  And he later managed Arsenal among others.

4. He Can Speak Six Different Languages

Arsene Wenger photo By Jason Clogg

One interesting fact about the footballer is that he has knowledge of languages. It was easy for him to communicate with his players when he was a coach from different nationality.

Wenger can communicate in different six languages. This made it easy for him to survive in different clubs he has played since he can communicate and express himself with people from a different communities. These six languages he can communicate include French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, and some Japanese.

5. He was Married to Former Basketball Player Annie Brosterhous

Annie Brosterhous is a former French Olympic basketball player who began her relationship with Arsene in the mid-90s. Arsene married Annie in 2010 after staying together for almost two decades together.

The couple was blessed with a daughter Lea in 1997 and they lived together in a mansion in Totteridge, London. However, in 2015, they separated, it is said that Wenger was in a relationship with a younger woman causing their divorce.

6. Wenger is a Greatest Manager

Arsene Wenger photo By Jason Clogg

He has been Arsenal’s longest reigning and one of the most successful managers. Arsenal appointed him as their Manager on September 30, 1996. Wenger is a fine coach and the greatest manager. The following is why I consider him a great manager.

Wenger had said that his side could go unbeaten in 2002 but many assumed him. Arsenal club did that and Arsene and his side went into the history books as the only team in contemporary football to put this record. This was not only Wenger’s achievement but one of the greatest achievements in world football.

Secondly, Wenger made extremely smart decisions when it came to buying new players or selling them since it is the role of the manager to know when is the right time to sell or buy players. He did an excellent job when it came to this aspect enabling the club to become a winner.

7. In his Youth he Had the Nicknames

It is interesting to know that Arsene had several nicknames during his career. Wenger was given the name ‘Petit’ by his football friends in his young years since he was short back then.

 He was as well nicknamed ‘Voyeur’ by Jose Mourinho, Inspector Clouseau which was a fictional character from the pink Panther series by Ray Parlour. He was called ‘Le Professeur’ by fans and the British media. Not forgetting Robbie Savage calls him the ‘grandfather’ of the Premier League.

8. An Asteroid is Named after Wenger

33179 Arsenewenger is a main belt asteroid. On March 29, 1998, is when the asteroid was discovered by Ian P. Griffin, who is a fan of Arsenal Football Club and named it.

 The asteroid was named after the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. It is said and believed to be the only asteroid named after a football manager.

9. He loves Japanese Cuisine

Arsene Wenger photo By Jason Clogg

Wenger joined the Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight as a manager in January 1995. He took with him Boro Primorac, the ex-Valenciennes manager and his junior in Monaco.

While he was still in Japanese, he fell in love with the Japanese diet. In Japanese, they eat only boiled vegetables, rice, and fish. They don’t use sugars, no oils as well that’s why it is almost impossible to find fat people there.

10. He is not only a Coach but also an Author

Despite Wenger being a successful coach of different clubs, he is as well an author. In the year 1997, he wrote his first book which in English is translated into ‘The Spirit of Conquest’.

The book talked about Japanese football and its philosophies and values. Arsene used this book to tell people about his own story and his extraordinary career and how he became successful in France and Japan.