Arsene wenger wanted this man to replace him as Arsenal manager ahead of Unai Emery

According to the Mirror, Unai Emery was not Arsene Wenger’s prefered choice to replace him when he left Arsenal.  The Frenchman left the Emirates after 22 years at the club last season but wanted Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti to take over from him.

Veteran Italian boss Ancelotti – who won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010 – joined the Naples club in the summer, but was seemingly interested in replacing Wenger at the Gunners before that.

Wenger’s 22-year spell in North London came to an end at the end of last season, and he was subsequently replaced by Unai Emery at Emirates Stadium. But Calcio Napoli 24 report claims from Italian journalist Ciro Venerato that Ancelotti was hoping he’d get the call.

Wenger reportedly wanted Ancelotti to be his successor (Image: PA)

“Arsenal-Napoli?” said Venerato when talking about the upcoming Europa League tie. “I’ll tell you a behind-the scenes story dating back to last summer when Arsene Wenger indicated Carlo Ancelotti as his possible heir and successor on the Arsenal bench.

“Carlo Ancelotti, as you know, has a Canadian wife and the whole family lives in London. So he was interested. “Arsenal then chose Unai Emery and at that point Carlo Ancelotti signed for Napoli, but he did not forget that Arsenal rejected him.”

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That apparent rejection could make Ancelotti even more determined to beat the Gunners next month.

Meanwhile,  Wenger’s former rival Jose Mourinho has showered praise on the Frenchman.   Mourinho had a fiery history with Arsene Wenger during their time as Premier League managerial rivals – but it seems they have now made peace with each other. Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho went head-to-head with the legendary Arsenal manager on 19 occasions, winning 10 times and losing just twice.

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The pair had a long-standing spat, which dated back to when Mourinho first arrived in England in 2004, and infamously squared up to each other at Stamford Bridge in October 2014.

Both are currently no longer managing in the English top-flight, with Wenger leaving Arsenal at the end of last season while Mourinho was sacked by United in December.

And Mourinho has put their differences to one side by hailing the Frenchman, who won three Premier League titles during his 22-year reign at the North Londoners. Speaking to beIN Sports in France, he said: “The easiest way to remember him is to say that he is one of a kind.

“In today’s football, it’s impossible for a coach to be 10, 15, 20 years in the same club, it’s the last one.

The two managers had a strained relationship in England (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“I really do not think we’ll see a coach stays 10 years in a club, now the players go, the players come, the pressure is immense for the coach, you do a good season, but the next one is a bit worse.

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“There is a huge pressure, a tendency to the rules of today say that coaches do not stay long, if we talk about football, Wenger is a trainer of the invincible, (Claudio) Ranieri, for example, is a coach that I call ‘the miracle’, title of champion of Leicester . “Wenger is one of the Invincibles: he won the Premiership with Arsenal without losing a game and that lasts over time.”

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