Arsene Wenger's departure to be end of longevity, says Rafa Benitez
Friday 20 April 2018 15:10, UK
Arsene Wenger's 22-year Arsenal tenure could be the last example of longevity for a manager, says Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez.
Wenger announced his departure from the club on Friday morning saying "it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season".
Live Nissan Super Sunday
Benitez was full of praise for the Frenchman who joined Arsenal in 1996, saying "he is one of the best managers in the world".
He said: "His behaviour has always been quite good. Especially for a foreign manager like me, when I came and started, I'd say, 'fighting' with some of the big names in England, he was fighting before and winning before.
"It was really difficult to do that, and he did really well. Twenty-two years in charge - is this the last we'll see of that kind of longevity?
"I think so, because we have so much money now in football that everyone wants to win quickly and there's no patience.
"Everyone wants to change things as soon as you have a couple of bad results. We have experience of this, this year.
"A lot of teams - Bournemouth, Huddersfield, ourselves - had bad runs and everybody was saying 'you have to change the manager'.
"Then when they were changing the manager, some teams, people would say it's fantastic because the new manager is doing this, or doing that.
"The reality is that you need to be patient, you have to have an idea, a plan, and follow the plan.
"Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose, but if you stay with the plan you have more chances to do well and that's what he did for 22 years.
"He was a foreign manager fighting for winning titles and when I came it was exactly the same, so I have had some conversations with him about that.
"I have a good relationship with him, he didn't mention it last weekend. We are talking about one of the best managers in football history."
Wenger was appointed on October 1, 1996 and has taken charge of a record 823 games in the Premier League.
He is leaving with a year left on his existing contract having led the club to three league titles and a record winning seven FA Cups.
