Arsène Wenger has reflected on the “wonderful memories” from his time at AS Monaco ahead of Arsenal’s Emirates Cup clash against his old club.
The Frenchman took charge of Monaco in 1987 and won the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France during his seven-year spell in the principality.
Wenger admits the role had its challenges, but he remains proud of his achievements during his time in the hotseat.
“I have some wonderful memories of my time at AS Monaco,” he told the official Emirates Cup programme. “We competed every year for the championship and won the title and the cup.
“When I arrived there, AS Monaco had never passed the first round of the European Cup and we went to the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup and the semi-finals of the Champions League. These are big memories because before it was a club who was non-existent in Europe.
“Despite the fact Monaco hadn’t achieved too much when I went there, it was still a demanding job. You are representing a country and also people are well-off there - and people who are well-off are demanding!
“It was very interesting for me because it was my first experience at a big club. It went well and I had a good relationship there - I’m happy to see the club back at the top level.”
Wenger expects the current AS Monaco side to provide a stern challenge for the Gunners in the closing game of the Emirates Cup on Sunday.
“They have a very high-quality squad at the moment,” he said. “They buy players and look like they are in a run to beat PSG. It’s not a team you want to play.
“They have many stand-out performers, Falcao was a massive signing last year and Kondogbia is a very interesting player because he’s a left-footed midfielder and one of the promising stars, just behind Pogba, in the French national team.”
Read the full interview in the Emirates Cup souvenir programme. It's packed with features, competitions to win Premier League tickets, flights and signed shirts, plus a giant poster of our new signings and Aaron Ramsey