Wenger speaks on Real Madrid link

Santiago Solari is currently at the helm of Real Madrid having come in to replace Julen Lopetegui who was sacked following a poor start to the season. Handed a short term contract to guide the Bernabeu side until the end of the season, Solari has been able to guide Los Blancos back to form – rising to second in the Spanish league having been out of the top four at some point, and getting on the edge of another UEFA Champions League quarter-final appearance after Wednesday’s win at Ajax in Amsterdam.

However, it has not been all roses for Solari, with the former Madrid player not handing Isco a league start since taking over as interim manager, while Marcelo has also seen playing time hard to come by under Solari – the situation of both players splitting opinions among the Madrid faithful. Most of all, Solari has seen big names continue to be linked with getting the manager’s job on a permanent basis, including former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger.

Solari would be pleased with the words of the former Arsenal manager, though, after the 69-year-old Frenchman ruled out the prospect of replacing him as head coach of the Liga giants. According to Wenger, he will never be Real Madrid manager after revealing he turned down the reigning UEFA Champions League holders “more than once”. Wenger did admit he would like to return to club management but has ruled out taking over at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite calling Real “the biggest club in the world”.

Wenger was approached about the role a number of times during his 22-year reign as Gunners boss. But he says his loyalty to the London club following their costly move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 meant he rejected the opportunity. Talking on beIN Sport, he said the prospect of succeeding current head coach Santiago Solari at Real is not on the cards. “I turned Madrid down more than once but now I must say it’s over for me,” he said. “I feel if you ask any manager in the world ‘Are you interested?’ and everybody would say ‘Yes’. It’s the biggest club in the world.”

But Wenger says he has no regrets about rejecting the opportunity to stick with Arsenal. “We live always to our values. It was in the middle of a processs. We rebuilt the stadium, we had to pay it back, I guaranteed I would stay and I’m quite happy with my decision,” he added. Despite speculation about Solari’s future as Real coach, he has vowed to fight arch-rivals Barcelona all the way in the battle for the La Liga title.

Real lies second, six points behind the Catalans, and Solari, appointed in November after an inital period as caretaker manager following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, said recently: “Madrid never give up. Always until the very end, and when I say the end I mean until the last game of the season. We showed hunger to cut the gap in points. We will always go out to win the game, regardless of the mathematics.”

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