Five Longest Serving Coaches in European Football

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    Though there are more and more exceptions in the modern day game, many great club sides have been able to achieve a high level of success due to long-term projects orchestrated by the man in the dugout. As we have witnessed multiple times in football, a coach can turn around the fortunes of a club, single-handedly in some cases.

    Sir Alex Ferguson did it with Manchester United, and Johan Cruyff did it with Barcelona. While the beginning of a managerial reign sometimes isn’t all that rosy, success often comes in the long term, and we can still see examples of this in the current era.

    Here, we present to you, 5 chiefs who have been part and parcel of their sides for a long while now (bearing in mind 2 + seasons is a long stint these days).

    1Arsene Wenger

    The 66-year-old has become almost ingrained in The Gunners, so much so that the new generation of fans think Arsene is Arsenal’s coach because of his name.

    Having called the shots at the North London outfit for 2 decades now, Wenger now ranks above his peers as the longest serving coach in the top five European Leagues.

    Since his arrival from AS Monaco in September 1996, the French tactician has helped establish the club’s dominance on home soil, winning them their first ever Premier League title in his 2nd season in charge.

    Win Ratio:

    The fans might turn against him now and then, but Les Professeur deserves credit for making Arsenal a big name side they are today. In the 1,120 games he has overseen as a coach, Arsenal have won 641 and drawn 261, at an overall win ratio of 57.7%. Few managers can rival such stats.

    Trophies:

    3 Premier League Titles: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
    6 FA Cups:1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15
    6 FA Community Shields : 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015

    Influence on The Game:

    Wenger has kept his reputation as a football manager who advocates free-flowing, attacking football for as long as he has been in charge of Arsenal, opposing the methods of those who grind out of results with ‘anti-football’ tactics.

    He also belongs to a school of thought known to help develop youngsters and turn them into top players. Though his reluctance to spend big on players is beginning to hurt Arsenal, his desire and patience to bring through some of England’s best youngsters have been good for the game.

    Influence On the Club:

    Arsenal have become one the best sides when it comes to playing beautiful football, and finding someone to continue that style of play when he leaves will be herculean for the club’s hierarchy.

    Notable Achievement(s):

    – 49 league game unbeaten run in 2004
    – Champions League runners-up in 2006

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