Wenger signs contract extension
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has signed a new three-year extension to his current contract, taking his tenure at the club to May 2017.
Wenger has been with Arsenal for 17 years, making him the longest-serving and most successful manager in the history of the club.
He is the longest-serving current manager in English football, has won eight major trophies and has qualified for the Champions League for 17 consecutive years, a record equalled only by Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Wenger, who has now taken charge of 1,010 Arsenal matches, said: “I want to stay and to continue to develop the team and the club. We are entering a very exciting period. We have a strong squad, financial stability and huge support around the world. We are all determined to bring more success to this club.
“The club has always shown faith in me and I'm very grateful for that. We have gone through fantastic periods and also periods where we have had to stick together. Every time when that togetherness was tested I got the right response. I think I have shown some loyalty as well towards this club and hopefully we can make some more history. I am sure we can.”
We are entering a very exciting period. We have a strong squad, financial stability and huge support around the world. We are all determined to bring more success to this club
Arsenal chairman, Sir Chips Keswick, said: “We are delighted that Arsène has renewed his contract for a further three years. He is a man of principle, who lives and breathes Arsenal. He has established Arsenal for its exciting playing style around the world, continues his commitment to young players and has the ability to bring top-class players to the club. I have no doubt we have an exciting future ahead of us with him leading the team.”
Arsenal’s majority shareholder, Stan Kroenke, said: “Sustained excellence is the hardest thing to achieve in sport and the fact Arsenal has competed at the top of the game in England and Europe throughout the time Arsène has been manager, is the ultimate testimony to his consistency of performance, talent and ambition.
"We are delighted with the FA Cup success which has added to his already outstanding record. Under his guidance we look forward to adding more trophies in future seasons.”
Wenger, 64, has led Arsenal to three league titles, five FA Cups and four Charity/Community Shields, including two league and cup doubles in 1998 and 2002. He is the only Arsenal manager to have won the FA Cup more than once and the only manager to take the club to a Champions League final.
He was the first manager in English league history to complete an entire 38-match season unbeaten, achieving that feat in 2003/04 on the way to the club’s historic 49-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Wenger joined Arsenal from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus in October 1996. He also managed in his home country France, where he was manager at AS Monaco and Nancy, assistant manager at Cannes, and worked in the youth section at Strasbourg.
In addition to his honours at Arsenal, Wenger has also won the French League championship (1988); French Cup (1991); French Manager of the Year (1988) (all with AS Monaco); Japan’s Manager of the Year (1995); the Japanese Emperor’s Cup (1996) and the Japanese Super Cup (1996) (Grampus).
TL;DR Wenger signed a new contract!
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