The very idea of Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal was difficult to comprehend for a large section of the fanbase, who had worshipped their managerial legend for the majority of his 22-year reign at the club.
But on the other side, it was almost inevitable considering the protests from disgruntled members of the Gunners’ supporters, who felt Wenger had overstayed his welcome at the Emirates Stadium. Their opposition led to placards with the words ‘Wenger Out’ scrawled over them, highlighting just how easy it is for things to turn sour in football.
Wenger was leaving at the time where Arsenal were arguably at their lowest. They were no longer favourites to qualify for the Champions League, let alone capable of mounting a title challenge. An FA Cup was about as much as they could hope for under Wenger, with progress almost stagnant at this stage. The Frenchman obviously felt with a heavy heart that it was time to go, with his contract running down.
The days of when he achieved the unthinkable with the Invincibles, going an entire league campaign unbeaten, were long gone. And who could forget their one and only Champions League final appearance in 2006, wrecked by a controversial red card and Barcelona went on to win 2-1. After three Premier League titles, including the Double in 2001-02, and seven FA Cups, Wenger knew the successful stint of his reign as over.
He stood up in front of the Arsenal crowd, which was packed to the rafters on a sunny May afternoon in 2018, and listened as the fans chanted his name in unison. Chants of "There's only one Arsene Wenger " and "Arsene give us a wave" could be heard from the stands at regular intervals, while the majority of the 59,549 in attendance donned red t-shirts handed out by the club with the message 'Merci Arsene’.
It had been a perfect day for Arsenal, who thrashed Burnley 5-0 in his last match in north London ahead of their final clash with Huddersfield in Yorkshire. He looked around the Emirates Stadium, the arena he had overseen the move to from their iconic Highbury, and tried to find the words that would spell an end to his tenure. Although not visibly emotional, there was a sense that Wenger was struggling to come to terms with saying au revoir to the club that had become a part of him.
It was fitting that, after such a long and enthralling rivalry, he paid tribute to his friendly foe Sir Alex Ferguson. The former Manchester United manager was in hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage and Wenger, being the class act that he was, had wished him well in his recovery. Wenger was gifted a golden replica of the Premier League trophy, which was handed to the Gunners to commemorate the Invincible season in 2003-04.
Ever the poet, Wenger reached deep down to find the words that underlined his intelligence and philosophical character. He spoke of "dreams being realised" and "values we cherish", which could have been ripped out of the Wenger playbook. Then he added what it meant to be an Arsenal fan and acknowledged what the fans felt about him, before telling them to get behind his successor and the players.
Above all, the simplicity of the message — and how his last words were “bye bye” — ultimately reflected how he felt about his role at the club. In his eyes, he wasn’t an icon or huge figure that deserved a statue, he was just another of them: an Arsenal fan who took charge of the team. And after 22 glorious years, it was time to move on.
Arsene Wenger’s farewell speech in full:
"Before I start, I just want to say I wish my fellow manager Ferguson well, and very quickly. Thank you very much for having me for such a long time. I know it is not easy!
"Above all I am like you, I am an Arsenal fan. That means this is more than just watching football it is a way of life.
"It is about caring about the beautiful game, about the values that we cherish and as well that something that goes through every cell of our bodies we care, we worry, we are desperate but when you come here dreams are realised.
"I would like to thank everybody at the club which makes the club so special. I would invite you to really push to support these players and the staff which remains behind me. For me this group of players have a special quality, not just on the pitch but off the pitch.
"And please follow this team and really support this team next season because they really deserve it. I would like to finish with one simple word: I will miss you. Thank you for being such an important part of my life and I hope to see you soon. Well done. Bye bye."
