This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
Former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has made a surprise return to the football world, accepting a role as a technical director at FIFA.
Wenger, 69, has been out of the professional game since leaving Arsenal last year, but has hinted at a possible return to management if the right offer came along.
He has been working as a TV pundit and promoting sports technology firm PlayerMaker, in which he has invested, since his departure from the Gunners.
Wenger's new role at FIFA will allow him to share his vast experience and knowledge with the world governing body, while he waits for a suitable opportunity to return to management.
"You will see me in a dugout again, when, I don’t know exactly," Wenger said previously.
"I enjoyed a bit to take a distance. I had a reluctance to go back into the heat again. I still cannot live today with the fact that I will never be on the bench again. I might go for an intermediate position. What I want for sure is to share what I know, and what I have learnt as much as I can in the game. I would like to experience one more time the intensity of the competition," he added.
Wenger has been linked with the France national job, but the role is currently filled by World Cup-winning boss Didier Deschamps.
However, Wenger has not ruled out being involved at the next World Cup in 2022, saying: "I must say I always wanted to go to the World Cup because I felt it is the job of a manager to be where the best football players in the world play football. Hopefully, you will see me, touch wood in Qatar in three years’ time."
