Sports Arsene Wenger gets backing of Arsenal's second largest shareholder

Arsenal second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov has backed manager Arsene Wenger despite people clamouring for him to be fired.

Wenger has come under scathing criticisms over the club's plummeting position, as they seem to be afar from the other top teams.

But in an interview with CNBC, Usmanov said that Wenger is a: “great man and great coach” adding that what the Frenchman needed was the board's financial support to reinforce and buy players.

Responding to a question if it was time to let Wenger go, Usmanov said: "first of all I decide nothing in this matter.

"This a strange position when the second biggest investor, who has more than 30%, decides nothing and it is frustrating. Although I have a great respect for the president of the club. As to Arsene Wenger - he is one of the greatest coaches not just of European, but of world football.


"But we have Russia proverb which goes – ‘Even an old lady can have a roof falling on her’. Everybody makes mistakes. He can make mistakes and I know as you age that it is more difficult, more challenging to accept ones mistakes. Maybe it's a problem today.

"He is a great man, a great coach, he had great victories and he has to have an opportunity to secure the place, which he and his team ought to have. I think the men who created winners have to be winners themselves. And I wish him this.

"Another question is to how to make this possible and are there conditions for this. I think club leadership relies on Wenger, so it's his responsibility. So I wish him all kinds of success

"My opinion, and I tell it openly, we need to strengthen every position to play on the level of such teams in UK as Chelsea and Manchester City, in Europe like Real, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bavaria and other clubs.
rsz_lmk-040663.jpg
 
Arsenal needs to switch from being an Academy to a solid football team with players like Aguero, Lewandowski, Costa, Messi, Ronaldo, Robben, Modric, Ramos, Ibrahimovic, Pirlo and the list goes on.
 
Back
Top