Arsene Wenger claims leaving the dugout after 40 years is like coming off DRUGS

Legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he misses the ‘intensity’ of being in the dugout and claims his gut is telling him to make a sensational return to management.

The 72-year-old left the Gunners in 2018 after 22 years in charge, and the Frenchman has not managed any professional outfit since at either club or international level.

Wenger first went into management in 1984 with French outfit Nancy and went on to take charge of Monaco and Japanese outfit Nagoya Grampus Eight prior to his move to Arsenal in 1996.

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he misses the ‘intensity’ of being in the dugout

The 72-year-old has not returned to the dugout since leaving Arsenal in the summer of 2018

The former midfielder has managed more than 1,700 professional matches in his career and compared his situation of being absent from the dugout to someone coming off drugs.

‘I spent 40 seasons in the dugout and if I listen to my guts, I would still do it,’ Wenger told beIN SPORTS.

‘You know, I can contribute in a different way. I’m still missing it. I’m still missing the intensity of it. And so overall, I’m still vulnerable. I’m like a guy who’s off drugs.

‘I think as well I can contribute in a different way. Now to football and if I can do that worldwide, it’s satisfying. More intellectually, maybe when the physically intense, but maybe more efficient as well in the world.’

Wenger has been FIFA’s chief of global football development since November 2019 and has championed the introduction of a controversial biennial men’s World Cup.

But he insists there is still plenty of work to do to develop the game worldwide, including at U17 level. 

Asked whether football is currently in a good place, he added: ‘I would say yes. Because women’s football is developing very well in the world, that there are many countries and on the countries we analysed and over 50% of the countries in the world have two or less than two youth team competitions.

‘And one of the solutions I offered is to have a World Cup for U17 organised every year because what I’ve seen is that when you have it every two years so that the guys are 16, when the U17 world cup is played they don’t get it in. And when they’re 17, there is no World Cup, so they don’t play. You skip a generation every time.

‘And to organise competitions in all the countries at youth team level, there’s plenty with no coaching, no competitions in the world more. In Europe, we are blinded because all is perfect. But in the rest of the world, there’s a lot to do.’ 

Wenger has been FIFA’s chief of global football development since November 2019