Arsene Wenger has said that he regrets staying at Arsenal for 22 years, ESPN reports.
Wenger told French radio station RTL that he wish he had taken on a new challenge away from Arsenal sooner than he did.
The Frenchman left Arsenal in May after 22 years in North London, ending his reign as the longest-serving manager in Europe.
RTL asked Wenger what his biggest mistake in his career was.
Perhaps staying at the same club for 22 years. I’m someone who likes new things, likes change. But I also like challenges. I was a little bit of a prisoner to my challenge each time.
The former Arsenal boss went on to say that he is yet to decide where his future lies, believing his sacrificed too much when he was at Arsenal.
I regret having sacrificed everything I did because I realise I’ve hurt a lot of people around me. I’ve neglected a lot of people. I’ve neglected my family, I’ve neglected many people close to me.
But deep down though, the obsessed man is selfish in his pursuit of what he loves. He misses out on a lot of other things. But it’s a bone to chase at the same time.
Often, I’m asked if Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira will be good managers and I always answer yes. They have all the qualities; they are intelligent, they know football, they have excellent skillset, but do they want to sacrifice what needs to be sacrificed to do only that? It’s an obsession which bounces around your head day and night.
You wake up at 3 a.m. thinking, ‘Should I play this one or that one? Is this way or that way the best to win this match?’ It’s a job that you never leave.
During the World Cup Wenger worked as a pundit for beIN Sports.
At the time of his departure from Arsenal in May, the Frenchman said that he has already received plenty of job offers but that he needed to take some time to consider his managerial future.
RTL went on to ask Wenger if he new what was in line for him next.
I haven’t decided yet. I’m asking myself the same question! Do I keep doing what I’ve been doing, what I know? Or do I share all the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years about people and sport in a different way? That is the question I need to answer in the next 2 to 3 months.
