Arsène Wenger:
🗣️ “There was a time we had £90 million turnover and we had to pay back £22 million per year for the stadium. I couldn’t sleep because we had to qualify for the Champions League to pay back the money.”
🗣️ “We had to sell our best players. Other clubs came in with lots of money but we were on the same level from 2007 to 2016.”
This is why so many Arsenal fans will forever defend Wenger.
While rivals were spending freely, Arsenal were carrying the weight of the Emirates project on their backs. Every summer felt like survival. Every top-four finish felt like a trophy. Every season, Wenger had to replace world-class players while keeping Arsenal competitive enough to secure Champions League football.
🔴 Sold stars. 🔴 Balanced the books. 🔴 Built a world-class stadium. 🔴 Kept Arsenal among Europe's elite.
Many managers would've walked away. Wenger stayed and carried the club through its most difficult financial era.
The trophies are part of his legacy. The fact Arsenal emerged from that period stronger, richer, and ready to compete again is the other part.
Without Wenger's sacrifices, there is no Arsenal of today.