70 Year Old Wenger To Coach Holland National Team’
Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has approached the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to succeed Barcelona-bound Ronald Koeman as manager, according to reports in the Netherlands.
The 70-year-old Frenchman has been working as the head of global football development at FIFA since his time 22-year period as Arsenal boss ended in May 2018.
Wenger admitted earlier this month that he would not rule out a return to management more than two years after leaving the Gunners.
And Fox Sports presenter Jan Joost van Gangelen is reporting that Wenger has immediately put himself forward as a candidate to succeed Koeman as Netherlands boss.
The 57-year-old Dutchman is expected to take over the reins at former club Barcelona after they sacked Quique Setien on Monday following their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The former Everton and Southampton boss successfully led his country to next summer’s European Championships, as well as victory in the UEFA Nations League.
But he now appears set to turning his back on them, with the lure of managing the Catalan giants being too appealing a proposition to reject.
However, the domino effect appears to have put Wenger – who won three Premier League title and seven FA Cups at Arsenal – back in the managerial window.
If his proposal is accepted by the Dutch FA, Wenger would take charge of their Euro 2021 campaign instead of Koeman, where his new side could come up against his native France or even England.
Speaking about the possibility of returning to management just this month, Wenger, 70, told Europe 1 : ‘Every day I want to train, I’ve been doing this all my life.
‘I’m 70 years old, I gave a lot. Should I play Russian roulette a bit, even when it comes to my health? I can’t do things by halves, so I ask myself this question.
‘It will be in conditions that I consider optimal. Otherwise, I will not do it.’
Reports in France earlier in the week even claimed Wenger had turned down an offer of taking over Barcelona himself as a replacement for Setien, but a role in international football could be more to his taste.