'I will sit in the North Bank, I can shout at the next manager!': Arsene Wenger ready to become an Arsenal fan

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James Benge6 May 2018

A week from now Arsene Wenger will be an Arsenal fan. Though undoubtedly moved by his perfectly-judged farewell at the Emirates Stadium, he appears more ready than ever to move on to his new relationship with the club he has forged in his image.

The 68-year-old took charge of his final game at the ground and bade it farewell in superb style, his Arsenal side romping to a 5-0 win over Burnley with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the vanguard.

The match rather served as a warm-up for the headline act, Wenger’s touching farewell to Arsenal, in which he called for the united front fans showed on Sunday to carry on under his successor and begged supporters to keep the faith in a group of players who have flattered to deceive on so many occasions.

He will certainly be cheering them on even after he has gone.

"I will always be an Arsenal fan,” he said in his farewell speech. “It is what unites us in every cell of our body, those dreams and worries.”

All of which begs the question, will we see Wenger back in the stadium that is the embodiment of all he achieved, but on the terraces rather than in the technical area?

“I would be happy to sit in the North Bank,” he told Standard Sport. “It depends. Do I work somewhere else or not? What do I do? In the job I do will I be free on the day Arsenal plays?

“I’d be happy to be in the North Bank. If you can offer me a ticket…

"The positive of that is I can shout at the next manager.”

AFP/Getty Images

Aubameyang’s brace bookended goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolasinac and Alex Iwobi as the Gunners secured a win that guarantees they will finish sixth and continued a remarkable run of home form.

“We played 19 [at home], won 15, had two draws and two losses and scored more goals than ever. The team played with a great spirit as they have.

“Apart from that it was as well a very sad day. I came here for the first photos then the lorries came in for the rubbish. This stadium I’ve worked in every single part from the press conference to the technical area. Of course it’s part of myself.

“As well it’s a day where people behind me can work in good conditions. I’m happy for that.”

Wenger was visibly moved throughout today, though the implacable Frenchman never lost the aura of coolness he has carried with him for 22 years.

Even when given the opportunity to discuss his emotions as he waved farewell to supporters from the Emirates centre-circle he was reluctant to go into great depths.

REUTERS

“Fortunately in my job you learn to disconnect from yourself. You don’t analyse anymore how you feel. For 20 years I forgot about me and just cared about the problems I had to sort out.

“I must say when you’re such a long time in the job and people ask how do you feel you think ‘why does he ask me that, I don’t know how I feel.’ I have to learn to reconnect with myself now I have more time.

“It’s a new start for me.”

Wenger has always spoken of his dream of using football to bring joy, but did he make himself happy?

“Sometimes to make people happy you have to go somewhere else,” he joked. “I want to make people happy because I have a certain idea of the game, the football to be played.

“My ambition was always to win with style. When you’re a big club you have that responsibility. For the supporters to have a special experience when they come to the club. That was always my target: making people happy.”

As the tears rolled at the Emirates few could doubt that he had done exactly that.

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