Arséne Wenger has broken the moulds since his arrival at Arsenal FC. The Evening Standard welcomed him with the headline “Arsène Who?” A lukewarm greeting to whom was at the time the first non-british manager to coach one of the best sides in England. More than fourteen years has gone by since his arrival and history has proven how wrong the journalist was. Wenger has changed inside out and upside down Arsenal FC to make this club one of the most known, profitable and aesthetically delicious football clubs across Europe. Statistics, records, trophies, victories and some rarities have accompanied the Strasbourg-born gaffer since he first stepped at Highbury in September 1996. One of this oddities is his predilection for the French League. Not so many people know that at least one – even eight at the best of the times- French player has taken part in any Arsenal FC squad since Arsène Wenger´s reign began in north London.The so-called Bosman Ruling of 1995 contributed to the arrival of European players to the clubs of the most important leagues such as Spain, England, France, Italy or Germany. Since then not a single player born in a European Union country member would be considered a foreigner. Not only players moved throughout Europe, also managers. Then, some gaffers developed a taste for bringing in fellow national players to coach them in their new clubs abroad, with upsides and downsides. Some examples were: Louis Van Gaal´s FC Barcelona- packed with a bunch of dutch players- and Rafa Benitez´s ´Spanish Liverpool´. Nevertheless, long time before the ´French Arsenal´ was born.
Some facts to kick off. Not a single season there has been a squad without a French footballer at Arsenal since Arsène Wenger´s arrival fourteen seasons before now. What´s more, the Strasbourg-born manager has signed at least one French player each year with the exception of the season 2009/2010. To sum up, 24 french footballers have arrived at Highbury or the Emirates Stadium thanks to Arsène Wenger since he took over. Not so many know that Patrick Vieira was the first ever Arsenal French player, and he arrived at the same time as Wenger in September 1996. Other French national, Rémi Garde, played for Arsenal that same season, this journalist has learned. Before this two, just a few Irish, Scottish, Swedish, Norwegians and Icelanders played for Arsenal. They were, in a way, the trailblazers of what was about to come.
The massive presence of Frenchman in Arsenal´s squad and starting eleven has been used by critics to hit Arsène Wenger several times. Some have accused him of underestimating the value of the English players and focusing just on non-british young talent. Critics found more reasons to attack Wenger when Arsenal regularly performed without any single England-born footballer in the starting eleven. What´s more, it´s been ages since English players represent more than a 40% of Arsenal´s squad. The gradual retirement of players such as Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Parlour, Winterburn, Keown and Campbell left supporters hopes to cheer an English player at Arsenal first in Ashley Cole´s hands and now in Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere´s. Arsenal´s 2006/2007 squad reflects the scarcity of English-born footballers with just 5 out of 33 players being English and just one of them –Theo Walcott- playing regularly under Wenger. The French gaffer, however, has always defended that he would have liked to have more English and british players in his squad but the lack of them is just a reflect of the situation of British football in general.
Arsène Wenger has created a style himself since he took over at Arsenal, bringing in young players from everywhere and helping them to grow while at London. Some other managers preferred to spend big money in stars but Wenger has always said that youth is the future and that producing a footballer from zero is the most profitable thing for a club. “If I had heard what the press said this summer I should have signed a new striker and two midfielders but that was just something I didn´t want to. If I had done so I would have been hindering Carlos Vela and Jack Wilshere´s career at Arsenal“, recently stated.
Although out of this analysis, Cesc Fábregas´s career is the perfect example of what the Arsène Wenger model is. The Spaniard arrived at Highbury in 2003 – when we was just 16 years old-. As young as Fábregas arrived some other French footballers like: Anelka (17), Aliadière (16), Clichy (18), Traoré (17) or Coquelin (17) -This analysis refers just to the French ones-. Others like Henry were signed with 22, while Pires was 27 when he first played for Arsenal and Wiltord 26. Recently Wenger tried to balance the youth of the likes of Diaby (20), Sagná (24) and Nasri (21) with the experience of Gallas (29), Silvestre (31) and Squillaci (30). Guillaume Warmuz, ex Lens goalie, has been the eldest Arsène Wenger´s french signing, as he arrived being 32. Sadly for him, he landed at Highbury in the winter transfer market and just acted as second choice so he barely played two games in the League Cup. The average of seasons staying at Arsenal for Wenger´s French players is of 4,6. While the average age of the signings is 23,5, this reporter has learned.
Arsenal has reached a football excellence thanks to Arsène Wenger´s methods and discipline and that just erased the ´Boring, boring Arsenal´ chants that Tottenham Hotspurs supporters shouted in every derby throughout the eighties and early nineties. The arrival of top-class, quality and creative footballers boosted Arsenal FC in a pursue of becoming again a title contender –something that has been true since Wenger took over-. Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires and now Fábregas have contributed to Arsenal´s success as much as Arsène Wenger. Lately the French football market has emerged as one full of bargains and English managers have tried to exploit it. Perhaps that´s why Rafa Benitez shipped there once (Sinama- Pongolle and Le Tallec) and recently Roman Abrahamovic´s Chelsea did so with Gäel Kakuta.
Happily –or sadly- this year won´t be an exception and despite the departure of Gallas, Silvestre, Traoré and Coquelin –the last two on loan-, Arsenal´s line up will be packed with French internationals. Quality players, not just names. Wenger has achieved, this year, a new record to add to his count at the Emirates picking a defence fully made of French footballers in a Premier League game. It was on the 11th of September against Bolton Wanderers at home. After, against SC Braga in the Champions League, he repeated the same starting eleven. And finally, for a third consecutive game played at the Stadium of Light (Sunderland) he picked the same line up. So, let´s don´t forget these names, shall we? Sagná, Squillaci, Koscielny and Clichy because Arsène Wenger threats to make them household names at Arsenal´s defence as so were Dixon, Adams, Keown and Winterburn in the nineties.
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