Arsène Wenger and Arsenal: 30 years on from appointment that changed English football

David Dein’s decision to hire the Frenchman ushered in an irreversible era of multiculturalism, giving birth to the Premier League we know today

As feedback goes, even a character as relentlessly optimistic as David Dein might have considered the reaction to his bold managerial appointment suboptimal. Thirty years ago, Arsenal were in a state of chaotic flux, having sacked Bruce Rioch, with the interims Stewart Houston and Pat Rice in charge. There had been talk of Johan Cruyff arriving and Dein wanted to fill the information vacuum. Summoning the team, he reassured them a new manager would soon be appointed and that he was a world-class addition.

“His name is Arsène Wenger,” Dein, the club’s vice-chair, beamed. A brief pause ensued before a player’s voice called out: “Who the fuck is he?” His exclamation echoed conventional wisdom. “Arsene Who?” famously read The London Evening Standard’s billboards prior to Wenger being confirmed as manager on 30 September 1996.

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