London,(AP/UNB) – Whoever succeeds Arsene Wenger at Arsenal won’t be allowed to amass the same power.“Arsene earned his position at this club over 22 years,” Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said on Friday. “I don’t think that there will be other managers, if you look forward, who will have kind of authority at the top of the game with the biggest clubs.
“Obviously, it is the most important appointment that any club makes and the most important employee that any club has so I don’t diminish the role. I just think it would be unrealistic to think that anybody comes in with the breadth and scope that Arsene had at Arsenal.”
Hours after the 68-year-old coach announced he was stepping down at the end of the season, Gazidis was not giving anything away about the identity of the next occupant of the Arsenal dugout.
The qualities desired were listed, though.
“Our fans want to see somebody who will continue to play progressive, exciting football that gets people interested and excited in the games that we play,” Gazidis said. “I also think there is a significant piece in Arsenal Football Club in how the candidate represents the club and I think it’s important to Arsenal fans.”
The turbulent last five years at Manchester United should act as a cautionary tale to the board at Arsenal as the club hires a new manager for the first time this century.
Just as Alex Ferguson had his fingerprints all over Old Trafford after nearly 27 years in charge at United, Wenger and his philosophy is ingrained at Emirates Stadium.
United has had three managers since Ferguson quit in 2013, with Jose Mourinho finally looking like a good fit following the underwhelming tenures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
“We have to be open-minded and brave in the decision,” Gazidis said. “When Arsene was appointed, I don’t think he was on many people’s radar. That doesn’t mean we have to repeat that but it does mean we have to be bold in the appointment.”
Can Arsenal get its succession plan right? Here are the main contenders to take over from Wenger:
THOMAS TUCHEL
Regarded as a brilliant tactician and owning a reputation for giving young players a chance at the top level, Tuchel has been without a club since getting fired by Borussia Dortmund last May. His links with the German club might affect his chances of succeeding at Arsenal, given the presence of head of recruitment Sven Mislintat at the Emirates. Mislintat had a similar role at Dortmund for a decade until he left for Arsenal in November and reportedly clashed with Tuchel. The 44-year-old German has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain.UNB
