Arsène Wenger in one of her first press conferences as a gunner technician (Arsenal.com)
Arsene Wenger is an entire institution in the Arsenal. The French coach arrived at the London club in 1996 and he remained head coach until 2018. Quite an achievement in these times.
In his second season at the helm of gunners, achieved the double (League and FA Cup), for the second time in the history of the club. From there, a fairly successful career that had its peak with the Arsenal of The Invincibles who won the league title undefeated.
Arsene Wenger came to the Premier League as a perfect stranger (Arsenal.com)
But nevertheless, Today we will stop at a moment that went down in the history of English football and that was an example of Fair Play. Precisely, British football has always been characterized by a bad eye for any type of trick and has always tried to be an example of fair play. The English fans themselves have always shown rejection of the simulation of fouls or injuries to waste time on the part, even, from their own players.
Just after the aforementioned double obtained in the second campaign of Arsene Wenger in front of the Arsenal, the whole of London was measured in the FA Cup at Sheffield United, another historical. The game went with a draw at one on the scoreboard thanks to the goals of Vieira and Marcelo respectively.
It was then that the goalkeeper of Sheffield, Alan Kelly, with the ball in his possession, I send him out of band to assist his teammate, Lee Morris, lying on the ground injured. Parlour kicked out hoping his catcher partner, the then debutante Kanu, throw the ball out again, just as the unwritten rules of the good athlete require. But the Nigerian decided not to and moved towards Kelly's goal., giving a pass of death that Overmars did not waste. The meeting ended with victory for the gunners by two goals to one.
Arsenal and Sheffield United footballers argue after Overmars' goal (Arsenal.com)
Like is logic, the Sheffield footballers showed their outrage and a great controversy was generated. However, to everyone's surprise, Arsene Wenger asked at the press conference itself to repeat the game, claiming that Arsenal (reigning champion) couldn't pass the round in an unsportsmanlike way. The club made a formal request to the FA, he accepted and the match was repeated ten days later.
curiously, the match ended with the same result of two to one in favor of Londoners, but the ethics lesson of the French coach made him an idol for fans of the Sheffield United, And without ever training the club, an added merit!
