Arsene Wenger is to return to the dugout for two charity matches in the next few months.
The 71-year-old has not been in the managerial hot-seat since ending his glittering 22-year stint with Arsenal in 2018, having taken up a role within FIFA as Chief of Global Football Development.
On Wednesday, however, Wenger will be managing during a team of Legends at Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome for a charity game organised by Didier Drogba.
Former France internationals David Trezeguet, Eric Abidal, Samir Nasri, Robert Pires and Fabien Barthez are all playing, with the proceeds going to UNICEF and the Didier Drogba Foundation.
A second imminent appearance on the touchline for Wenger has also been announced. In January, the former Monaco boss will take charge of a All-Star Saudi Arabian XI against a Paris Saint-Germain side containing Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
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The fixture comes during the Ligue One winter break and will be for the Riyadh Season Cup.
Players from Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr will be selected by Wenger for the exhibition.
Though Wenger is extremely busy with his current role at FIFA, last month he hinted he could still manage again in the future.
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“I don’t rule it out," Wenger told The Telegraph.
“There are always people who say, ‘You are too old’ so at the time, maybe I thought they were right, but I am in good shape and I have not completely decided not to do it anymore.”
Incredibly, one of his last charity match appearances was actually on the pitch and saw Wenger briefly dribble past the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Although it resulted in an image that was both hilarious and iconic at the same time, footage showed that Zidane regained possession very quickly.
Topics: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi
