Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he rejected offers from Real Madrid three times, as well as one from Barcelona, during his 22-year tenure as Arsenal’s coach. Despite his childhood admiration for Real Madrid, Wenger prioritised his commitment to Arsenal and the project of building a new stadium to replace Highbury, which the club financed themselves.
Wenger emphasised his sense of loyalty and indebtedness to Arsenal, and his desire to see the project through to completion, as his reasons for declining the offers. He also noted the reduced level of autonomy he would have had in Madrid compared to England, and Real Madrid’s reputation for having less patience with their coaches.
