Wenger rules out imminent return

Arsene Wenger has ruled out an imminent return to management despite admitting he is “more open” than he was a year ago to resuming his career.

The 69-year-old has been out of the game since ending his 22-year reign as Arsenal manager last summer.

Wenger has been regularly linked with vacancies all over Europe, but to this point the Frenchman has remained happy to continue his hiatus.

Asked if there was a chance he would be back on the sidelines this season, he told France 24: “Not in the near future, no. I still am not ready to go back. I thought ‘Yes’, but I don’t think at the moment I will come back.

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“I’m more open now than a year ago to talk about that, but I cannot tell you that in the next two, three days, I will go into management again.

“I took a little bit of distance and I enjoyed it. I worked for 35 years without any interruptions, so I think I deserved a little rest.”

Wenger worked in France and Japan before his hugely successful spell with Arsenal, which yielded three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, and hinted that he might consider working in a different country.

He said: “Well, I would prefer to try another country, although my preferred time was in England because the Premier League is the place to be at the moment.

“But for me, it’s very difficult because I have been for so long at the same club. But why not? I still need a bit of time to pass and then maybe make the decision.”