enger broke the news on Friday morning as the Gunners gear up for this weekend’s showdown with London rivals West Ham atthe Emirates.Arsenal are set to miss out on Champions League qualification for the second successive campaign regardless of their result against the Hammers but silverware is still in their sights.
Europa League glory would represent the 11th major honour of Wenger’s spell in north London, a portion of which was spentbattling Ferguson.Former Manchester United boss Ferguson has now explained why he is pleased by the timing of his old adversary announcing his departure.
"I am really happy forArsene Wenger," Ferguson told United’s official website."I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal."It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that he has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job that he loves.
"In an era where football managers sometimes only last one or two seasons, it shows what an achievement it is to serve that length of time at a club the size of Arsenal.
"I am pleased that he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season, as he cannow have the send-off that he truly deserves.
"He is, without doubt, one of the greatest Premier League managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague and a friend to such a great man.
"Arsenal follow up Sunday’s encounter with West Ham with Premier League fixtures against United, Burnley, Leicester and Huddersfield.
Current United boss Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Wenger this morning, suggesting his hostile relationship with the Arsenal manager was artificial.
"It’s not about regretting, I think your question is a typical question from somebody that was not in this side, you were not a manager, a player, of course you don’t know the way we respect each other even when sometimes it doesn’t look like we don’t, players that get yellow cards and red cards by aggression actions against each other, bad words during the career, the manager is the same thing but the ones that respect more each other are the ones with the problems," he said.
"It’s power and ambition and quality againsteach other but in the end it’s people from the same business and respect each others’careers, so it happened, what matters for me is the way I respect the person, the professional, the career and I always say that for some the memories short, but for us football people, the real football people, who are the ones inside the four lines, playing, or the managers, or the refs, the others live on us, the football people doesn’t have short memory.
I know what it means, three PL titles and seven FA Cups, what he did in Japan and France, what he brought to French football and what he gave to Arsenal in the period without Premier League, the transition from stadium to stadium, we know what he did.
"If he’s happy with the decision, I’m really happy and I hope he doesn’t retire from football."Arsenal are set to take on Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid over two legs for a place inMay’s Europa League final.Marseille and Red Bull Salzburg will contest the other semi-final tie as they lookto secure their spot at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
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