LONDON – Arsene Who? That famous headline across a London newspaper welcomed the relatively unknown Arsene Wenger when he was appointed Arsenal manager in September 1996.
Many players at the club had the same question when the Frenchman first arrived. A little less than 18 years later, Wenger will manage his 1,000th game when his team plays at rival Chelsea on Saturday.
Despite the former Monaco coach's inability to deliver a trophy since 2005, Wenger's achievements in North London and his influence on English soccer have been immense.
Not only has Wenger presided over glory days at the club — Arsenal won three Premier League and four FA Cup titles under Wenger, including the double in 1998 and 2002 — he also achieved sporting and financial stability at Arsenal.
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