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Thank you, le professeur: A fan tribute to Arsene Wenger

By Kian Long

PRESTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Preston North End and Arsenal at Deepdale on January 7, 2017 in Preston, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
PRESTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Preston North End and Arsenal at Deepdale on January 7, 2017 in Preston, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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The day has finally come. We’ve been begging for it to happen, but now it’s here, what do we do?

Arsene Wenger has decided to leave Arsenal at the end of the season. After countless protests, banners across the world, and even simply ‘Wenger out’ trending on Twitter, he has left the club. It’s heartbreaking, which is why I have decided to pay my tribute to Arsene Wenger, as a fan of the club.

When I first heard the term ‘Arsenal’, I instantly associated it with Arsene Wenger, I mean, didn’t we all? I grew up for many years thinking that the club was named after the legendary man in charge.

He created some of the best teams in world football, with the Arsenal Invincibles taking the throne. Making names for players such as Tony Adams, Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas, he will go down as one of the club’s biggest legends.

So, how did it get to this? How did the iconic man in charge of this huge club generate such a hate base? Whether you think it’s solely his own fault, or whether the board can take the blame, there’s no pushing aside everything he has done for the club.

In one of Arsenal’s most sticky periods, during the transition from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners were short in resources. Of course, they were in a lot of debt at this point.

The Arsenal hierarchy had no choice but to sell some of their best players to rival clubs. During this time, Robin van Persie was sold to Manchester United, Samir Nasri to Manchester City, and so on. Yet still, Wenger found ways to qualify for the Champions League each season, without fail.

The French boss has won 17 honors during his 22 year spell as Arsenal manager. He has yet to win a European trophy with the Gunners, but he has a chance to do this in what is his final year at the club. Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Europa League.

The biggest tribute to Arsene Wenger would be his players giving their all to win this trophy for their boss. Either way, he will go down as a legend of the game, but winning a European honor in his final year would put the icing on the cake.

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What is your favorite Arsene Wenger memory?

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