Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has confidently backed his old club to win the Premier League title this season, declaring that “Arsenal will win the league this year”, while attending the BRIDGE Summit at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi.
The long-serving coach, who is now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, made the bold prediction – a marked difference from his usual cautious commentary – where he reflected on the core values of success and the challenge of balancing long-term vision with the demand for instant results.
Wenger, who led Arsenal through their legendary “Invincibles” season of 2003-04, pointed to the strength in depth of the current squad under Mikel Arteta. “I feel what I see, we have the best squad, we have the best team, we have the most balanced team... compared to the competition. The competitiveness of the other teams looks less strong,” he said.
He also noted that rivals like Liverpool have “dropped off” and, while Manchester City could “come back”, he believes his former club has the resilience “on the longer distance” to see out the title race, having finished second in the past two seasons.
The Frenchman’s remarks on Arsenal’s title charge were framed within the context of a broader discussion on the enduring importance of philosophy, integrity,and patience in football – themes that defined his 22-year tenure in North London. Recalling the initial press scepticism when he was first appointed, Wenger spoke of the necessity of ignoring the “noise” and sticking to one’s beliefs.
He outlined his foundational three-part philosophy at the club: serving the institution first, influencing the playing style, and focusing on the individual development and career of the players. “I always felt that my job was first to try to make the club as a structure, bigger as a brand,” he said.
Addressing the pressures of modern management and the push for instant success through heavy spending, Wenger stressed the indispensable nature of a long-term plan.
“I personally believe that every organisation, to reach its full potential, needs to have a long-term plan.” He views this commitment as a “social responsibility” to nurture talent, adding, “If only concerned by what’s happening tomorrow, you don’t go far”.
This long-term perspective is now the cornerstone of his work at FIFA, where he has launched the Talent Development Scheme to create academies globally. He revealed that the target is to have 60 academies in 60 different countries by the end of this year.
It will provide children who may not otherwise get a chance – in what he estimates is less than 25% of the world’s 211 countries competing at the World Cup – with a route to professional football. “For those who have a talent for football, we have a responsibility to help them develop that,” he affirmed. The project is focused on identifying talent, creating centres of excellence, and ensuring proper education and safeguarding for the young players.
On dealing with the intense stress of a manager’s job, Wenger shared the simple advice: “Always think, ‘Why am I doing this? What am I striving for?’ And that gave me all the strength to reconsider – to regroup on what was important.” He also shared one of his greatest achievements at Arsenal: “I must say, in 22 years, I never lost three games on the trot.” He attributed this consistency to actively working to reduce “crisis time” and the capacity to focus on the next step.
Wenger’s final message to young coaches was a powerful summation of his career: “Of course, you want to win trophies, but try to generate values. The values will survive over the trophies you have won, which are more important for everybody.”
