Frenchman Arsène Wenger has been named director of FIFA's world football development, the Zurich-based body said on Wednesday. This adept of the offensive game will be responsible for "overseeing and directing the growth and development of football for men and women around the world". He will also lead the technical study group, responsible for the analysis of FIFA competitions since 1966.
An "extremely important" challenge
The former Arsenal technician, a time mentioned at Bayern Munich, was more likely to face a last challenge as a coach. The Alsatian, aged 70, enjoyed success on the bench of Monaco, then Arsenal he led for 22 years until 2018, winning three league titles and seven English Cups. "I'm really looking forward to this extremely important challenge," said Wenger, quoted in the FIFA statement. "I've always been interested in analyzing football from a broader perspective, but also because the mission FIFA, as the governing body of football, is truly global. "As the application of video assistance to arbitration (VAR) raises many questions, Wenger will also occupy" a central role in technical issues, "said FIFA, as a member of two advisory groups of the International Board (IFAB), guarantor of the rules of the game.
>> READ ALSO - Europe 1 tested the VAR: "This mastery of the image is a learning"
For FIFA President Gianni Infantino, "Arsene Wenger's tremendous knowledge and passion for the different aspects of our sport make him one of the most respected personalities in world football." He is the second Frenchman to join the Fifa leadership team recently, after the appointment in September of the former international Yuri Djorkaeff as head of the Fifa Foundation. Arsène Wenger succeeds the post of director of development at former Dutch international Marco van Basten who left FIFA in October 2018.