“We Need Time To Prepare” – Ivan Gazidis Explains Timing Of Arsene Wenger Announcement

By The Editor
on 20th April 2018

Ivan Gazidis said the club and Wenger sought clarity rather quickly…

@Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis explains why the decision has been reached now for Arsene Wenger to leave the club at the end of the season.

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— Sky Sports PL (@SkySportsPL) April 20, 2018

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has said that a need to build quickly for a huge change was the reason behind Arsene Wenger’s timely announcement.

Wenger released a statement on Friday confirming that he’s to step down as Arsenal boss this summer and while many respect the decision that has been taken, the timing of the announcement has been questioned.

We have a huge European semi-final against Atletico Madrid to prepare for and this could be a distraction, but Gazidis stressed that the club needs time to prepare for the future and so clarity was required.

Also, given that the statement from the club coincided with the moment the players were told (via BBC’s David Ornstein), it’s quite clear that nobody at the club wanted leaks to emerge.

“We wanted the opportunity that the Arsenal family could come together and I think we are going to see some fantastic atmospheres from now until the end of the season,” Gazidis said when questioned about the timing of such an announcement.

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“And also, both Arsene and the club needed time to prepare – we have a condensed summer with the World Cup, with a shortened transfer window.

“The reaction today at the training ground, we saw an incredible amount of passion, the players coming together with a desire to give Arsene the send-off he deserves.”

With Wenger no out of the picture, Gazidis will from now on be the main firmly in the picture and since he’s the one calling the shots, fans will scrutinise his every move.

His first move may be his most important as he looks to appoint a successor capable of getting us back to where we should be.