Arsene Wenger, French football manager, was born to Louise and Alphonse Wenger, on October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg, France. In Duttlenheim, his parents owned a bistro (a small restaurant) called La Croix d’Or, and an automobile spare-parts business in Strasbourg. Arsene Wenger graduated from Strasbourg University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in economics in 1971. Apart from his mother tongue, he is fluent in Alsatian, German, and English; and can also speak Italian, Spanish, and Japanese. He lives in Totteridge, London with his wife and daughter.
As a young football player, Arsene Wenger organized matches at the village team, FC Duttlenheim. He was 16 when he formed his first team to be later recruited in the AS Mutzig club. While studying at the Strasbourg University, he played as a defender for a number of amateur clubs. His professional playing career was a short one, which began in 1978; he played with RC Strasbourg making his debut against Monaco. His team won the Ligue 1 title in 1978-79, and played once in the UEFA Cup, of the twelve appearances he made for the team.
On obtaining a manager’s diploma, Arsene Wenger was first appointed the coach of his club, RC Strasbourg youth team, in 1981. He joined AS Nancy-Lorraine in 1984, which was his first senior management job. It was only as the manager of AS Monaco in 1987, that his managerial capabilities were showing good results. His team won the league in 1988 and the French Cup in 1991.
From 1994-1996, Arsene Wenger managed the Nagoya Grampus Eight, Japanese team, which won the Emperor’s Cup during his successful tenure. On October 1, 1996, he became the first non-English manager of the Arsenal FC. Under his managership, in the 1997-98 season, Arsenal won both the Premiership and FA Cup, the second Double in the club's history. With his efficient coaching, Arsenal FC clinched the FA Cup in 2003, and created history by winning the 2003-2004 Premiership title in 2004 without a single loss. On winning the FA Cup in 2005, Arsenal FC has three Premier League titles and four FA Cups to its credit.
Arsene Wenger devoted his career building teams, and he also has an eye for spotting young talent. Liberian George Weah, FIFA World Player of the Year (1995), was one of his findings. Some of the world-class players like Patrick Vieira, Francesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, and Kolo Toure were young, unknown players when Arsene Wenger signed them. Arsene Wenger had a major influence on the career of Thierry Henry, Arsenal team’s all-time top scorer and captain. A survey conducted in 2007, claimed that Arsene Wenger was the only Premier League manager to have made a profit on transfers. The money he spent to buy players like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, and Sylvain Wiltord was worthy, for these players had a key role in clinching the Double of 2001-2002 and the league title win of 2003-2004.
In 2002, France awarded its highest decoration, the Legion d’Honneur to Arsene Wenger. As a tribute for his outstanding contributions to the Arsenal FC, the board of directors unveiled a commissioned bronze bust of Arsene Wenger, at the club’s Annual General Meeting on October 18, 2007. He was the second foreign manager to be recognized for his commendable achievements and so was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
