Arsene Wenger: I told my staff that it would be Alex Ferguson’s last season

ARSENE WENGER told his staff Alex Ferguson would retire from Manchester United earlier in the season.

The Arsenal boss says he saw signs as early as last summer that it was going to be Fergie’s last campaign — as the two hashed out a £24m deal for Robin van Persie.

Ferguson and Wenger’s rivalry — especially in the late 90s and early 2000s — culminated in some of English football’s greatest matches.

But Wenger was not surprised when Ferguson announced on May 8 he was stepping down.

He said: “I told my staff a long time ago I think that it will be Alex Ferguson’s last year, so I was not completely surprised.

“I detected a few signs through the season, there was already one of them before the season started, that it could be his final year.

FRENCHMAN says he had told his staff earlier in season he expected Alex Ferguson to retire as Man Utd boss

“You have to respect his decision. It is sad because it is the end of a remarkable career. He got a lot of praise that he deserves.

“After 26 years, he just won the championship, he knows it will be more difficult even for Man United to have that consistency now because there are so many teams who have financial power.

“Even for Manchester United it will be difficult to have the consistency there that they had until now.

“There is a double challenge now, the first is for Manchester United to replace a guy of that stature, and the second challenge for Alex Ferguson to have a life as passionate and as interesting as the life he had until now, but you have to respect the decision.”

Wenger will next season become the longest-serving manager in the country after taking charge at the Gunners in 1996.

But he has yet to commit his long-term future past the end of next season.

The 63-year-old, whose side have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup and face a battle to secure a top-four finish ahead of Tottenham.

He added: “I have the luck to be at this club for a long time because I have the faith of my directors and I am grateful for that.

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“I try to pay that faith back by having complete commitment and dedication and to give my best of course.”

Wenger could well be facing three different managers in the top sides next season, should Roberto Mancini leave Manchester City and Jose Mourinho return to Chelsea.

But the Frenchman insists chopping and changing coaches is not necessarily a recipe for success.

He said: “I am against it because I believe stability is needed inside the clubs for people who represent the values that a club wants to carry though.

“Inside the club it is important to have people who represent these values.

“The manager can be one of these people if he has been there a long time.”

Football – The Sun

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