Wenger reveals his biggest Arsenal regret after 22 years

Matt Stead

Arsene Wenger has looked back on the biggest regret of his 22 years at Arsenal: failure to win the 2006 Champions League.

Wenger is stepping down as Arsenal manager at the end of the current season.

The Frenchman is hoping to win the first European trophy of his tenure in his final two months in charge, with Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

The Gunners face Atletico Madrid in the final four, and Wenger hopes that Arsenal can go one step further than they did in their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

“We played that year against ­Juventus, who had Ibrahimovic, Trezeguet and Vieira – and Madrid who had Zidane, Beckham, Figo and Ronaldo,” he said.

“It would have been the greatest achievement.

“The history of the club [Arsenal] has become very demanding but the longer history of the club is not so bright that you can say the club has won 10 European Cups.

“It will feel an anticlimax of course if we don’t reach the final. I don’t know if there a perfect goodbye. I just want to give my best.”