Arsene Wenger was the greatest manager in Arsenal’s history, and a true footballing icon.
Wenger spent 22 years at Arsenal, in which time he developed an influential philosophy of attacking football, helped the club endure financial troubles following a stadium move, and won 10 major trophies.
The Frenchman’s final few years at the club did not go as planned, but he is still popular amongst Arsenal fans and players who featured during his reign.
One player he developed was defender Gael Clichy, who has now made a very bold claim when it comes to comparing Wenger with other great managers.
Gael Clichy heaps huge praise on Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger
In a TikTok video with Amazon Prime Sport, Clichy was asked to make a sound whenever a manager he believed to be better than Wenger had his name mentioned.
Antonio Conte, Unai Emery, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Mikel Arteta, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho were all mentioned, but Clichy stayed silent throughout.
Despite Klopp and Mourinho’s success in England and beyond, Wenger’s legacy proved to be stronger, with Clichy staying loyal to his former boss.
However, Pep Guardiola’s name was then mentioned, and Clichy admitted that the Spaniard ranks above Wenger.
“Yeah, I have to go for this one,” Clichy begrudgingly stated.
Gael Clichy’s record under Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola
Wenger brought Clichy into the Arsenal team and even loaned out Giovani van Bronckhorst to facilitate the teenager’s arrival.
When Ashley Cole departed for Chelsea in 2006, Clichy stepped up to take his place, and made 264 appearances for Arsenal overall before departing in 2011.
Clichy moved to Manchester City, where he won two Premier League titles, before Guardiola joined in his final season.
The Frenchman made 39 appearances under Guardiola, before he then moved to Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.
Clichy’s time under Guardiola was more successful, but his development and performance levels peaked under Wenger at Arsenal.
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