"When I was a kid, Real Madrid were my team," Arsene Wenger told EFE as quoted by Marca. "I grew up watching Di Stefano, Puskas, Kopa, Santamaria, Gento... They made an impression on me.
"I liked Real Madrid and, with the passing of time, I ended up facing them. I almost went to Real Madrid on two occasions. Not many people can say that.
"But I was involved in a project to build a new stadium that would replace Highbury and we had to finance it.
"We paid for it all ourselves. No one helped us. We paid for it on the pitch and by selling players high and buying them cheap. That's why I didn't go to Real Madrid. I wanted to finish that project.
"I rejected some of the best teams in Europe and now I'm quite proud of that because I showed commitment, loyalty and that I can get to the end of a project.
"I didn't look for immediate glory, I went for something deeper. In life, you can only do what you think is right. That's my character. I don't know if I made the right choices, but I did what I wanted to do."
During his 22 years in north London, he claimed 3 Premier League titles and 7 FA Cups. He revolutionised English football and turned Arsenal into an elite club.
Perhaps Arsene could have won many more titles at the Bernabeu compared to what he won with Arsenal but in the end, it was his choice and such loyalty deserves respect.
