Wenger

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Wenger (温格)
Alias(es)	Professor Wenger; Mr. Wenger; the Professor
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Arsenal
Occupation/Role	Arsenal head coach/manager
First Appearance	4

Background / History

Wenger personally oversaw the construction of Arsenal’s Colney Training Base in 1999. During that period, Arsenal regularly competed for titles against Manchester United, and he aimed to establish both the club and himself as enduring forces in football. 6

A prolonged financial crisis and shareholder conflict later constrained his work. While Arsenal needed bank loans, the club’s leading investors fought over ownership and declined to invest; Wenger was left to balance debt repayment, squad building, and the need to maintain results. 4 182 192

He remained deeply attached to Arsenal, describing the club as the only thing he had. After the move to the new stadium, he continued managing with limited funds while trying to repay loans and keep the side competitive. 192

Appearance

Wenger is a tall, imposing man with a refined but weathered bearing. He is severely nearsighted without his glasses and is often depicted in suits, including a red tie during his first meeting with Maël. 84

• Tall frame and elegant, authoritative presence. 84
• Severe nearsightedness when not wearing glasses. 84
• Often wears glasses while working over tactical boards, reinforcing his “Professor” image. 185
• Has white hair by the period covered in the story. 192

Personality

Wenger is reflective, emotionally restrained, and intensely devoted to Arsenal. Under pressure, he looks toward the youth players at Colney for motivation, and he remains attentive to promising talent even while dealing with boardroom crises. 4

His calm exterior conceals persistent anxiety over finances, player departures, expectations, and Arsenal’s competitive future. He is willing to make difficult long-term decisions—such as leaving Maël on loan rather than guaranteeing immediate playing time—when he believes the club’s stability requires it. 80

He can also be fiery and expressive. He celebrates provocatively during heated matches, becomes openly angry when players challenge him, and is visibly overwhelmed when Arsenal’s renewed success and Maël’s rise offer him a path out of years of frustration. 100 127 213 273

Abilities & Skills

Talent Identification and Player Development

Wenger notices dedication as well as ability. He first takes interest in Maël after learning that the youth player spent nearly an entire day training alone, then steadily follows Maël’s development through reports, highlights, and full matches. 4 84

• Monitors youth and loan players closely, including Maël and Gilbert at Sheffield United. 24 32 41
• Recognizes Maël’s potential as a future core player and possible replacement for Fabregas. 24 80
• Supports Maël’s development through loans, contracts, tactical trust, and eventual first-team integration. 80 112
• Sees Maël’s commercial and sporting value as transformational for Arsenal. 189 246

Tactical Management

Wenger adapts his plans around player strengths, fixture congestion, and opponent quality.

• Plans to use Maël as a versatile attacker: a winger who moves centrally and acts as an advanced counterattacking forward in a 4-3-3. 119
• Intends to develop Maël into a complete centre-forward while moving Van Persie toward a second-striker role. 112
• Rotates the squad in congested periods, including using Maël as a substitute against Marseille and resting him in cup competition. 166 186
• Prioritizes Arsenal’s strongest lineup for major league fixtures, including Manchester United away. 136
• Reinforces the squad through signings such as André Santos, Per Mertesacker, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Kyle Walker. 136 193

Club Management and Negotiation

Wenger manages Arsenal’s limited resources while navigating agents, shareholder disputes, wage limits, and transfers.

• Declines to recall Maël from Sheffield United during the winter window because he cannot responsibly guarantee 50% playing time. 80
• Activates Maël and Gilbert’s salary-increase clause early after their strong loan performances. 41
• Pushes Arsenal to break its wage structure to retain elite players, especially Maël. 182
• Uses transfer income to strengthen the squad or improve wages after gaining greater control over spending. 182
• Supports Maël’s media and image-rights ventures as part of retaining him at Arsenal. 185 186 215

Relationships

• Maël — Manager, mentor, and close ally. Wenger follows Maël’s rise from youth football, builds tactical plans around him, and repeatedly expresses pride in him. 4 84 112 171 273
• Gilbert — Former youth player Wenger monitors alongside Maël during their Sheffield United loan; Wenger later welcomes him back to the first team. 24 32 112
• Hans — Youth coach and trusted subordinate. Hans reports on Maël and Gilbert’s progress and assists Wenger during contract negotiations. 41 80
• Philip / Phillis / Philippe — Assistant and confidant who discusses player scouting, transfers, finances, and Wenger’s personal burdens with him. 4 24 80 182
• Robin van Persie — Senior Arsenal forward whom Wenger works with while planning Maël’s development; Wenger supports Van Persie’s recognition of Maël’s value. 112 166
• Thierry Henry — Former Arsenal great whose return deeply moves Wenger; the two share belief in Maël’s capacity to bring Arsenal a Champions League trophy. 185 186
• Cesc Fabregas — Departing midfielder whose loss threatens Wenger’s long-term plans and creates the need to identify a replacement. Their relationship later deteriorates amid Fabregas’s public dissatisfaction and disrespect. 24 90 100
• Sir Alex Ferguson — Long-standing rival from Arsenal and Manchester United’s earlier title battles. Their later conversations show mutual recognition of each other’s difficult periods. 6 41 281
• Kroenke — Arsenal shareholder/owner whose plans to build Arsenal into a dominant global club eventually align with Wenger’s ambitions, though their relationship is shaped by financial and institutional pressure. 213 273

Story Role / Major Arcs

Youth Recruitment and Loan Monitoring

Wenger first notices Maël’s extraordinary work ethic at Arsenal’s youth setup. As Maël and Gilbert go on loan to Sheffield United, Wenger tasks his staff with monitoring them and becomes increasingly astonished by Maël’s production. 4 24 41

Maël’s Contract and Arsenal Return

During negotiations with Mendes, Wenger weighs recalling Maël against allowing him to continue developing at Sheffield United. He chooses the latter, then personally welcomes Maël back to Arsenal for a new contract and reveals how closely he has followed his career. 80 84

First-Team Integration

After Maël’s return, Wenger outlines a new attacking role for him and gives him his Arsenal debut during the China tour. Wenger’s faith grows as Maël establishes himself as a major first-team weapon. 112 119 120 127

Rebuilding Arsenal

Amid Fabregas and Nasri’s departures, Wenger strengthens the squad, confronts the club’s wage limitations, and restructures his plans around Maël’s emergence. He pursues signings, including Walker, while seeking to keep Arsenal competitive on multiple fronts. 117 182 185 193

Redemption and Title Success

Wenger’s long period of criticism and constraint begins to give way to success as Arsenal challenge for and win the Premier League. He regards Maël as central to the club’s revival and receives a moment of personal redemption after years of failure and pressure. 213

Pursuit of a New Arsenal Dynasty

With Arsenal’s influence and unbeaten run growing, Wenger publicly embraces ambitious goals, including an entire unbeaten league season. When the Premier League pressures Arsenal to slow its dominance, he confides in Maël and resolves to resist. 254 273 278

Notable Quotes

“From your very first appearance, I've been watching you—right up to now.” 84

“I only have Arsenal.” 192

“If we don't smash this wage system, Arsenal will never be a top club.” 182

“I'm proud you're an Arsenal player.” 171

“These past two years, we've worked together, used up all our luck and energy to get to this position. How could I bear to give it up? How?!” 273

Trivia

• Wenger’s “Professor” nickname is reinforced by his scholarly appearance while wearing glasses and organizing tactics at a board. 185
• He is protective of Arsenal’s youth players and reacts negatively to scouts who may be attempting to poach them. 8
• He has a habit of smoking during periods of intense pressure or after difficult decisions. 80 100
• He keeps photographs of Arsenal’s past successes and former figures in his office. 192