CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Arsenal v OlympiacosARSENE WENGER has described the Arsenal board as "crazy" for appointing him in 1996 as he prepares to become the club's longest-serving manager, beating George Allinson who took over from the great Herbert Chapman in 1934 and lasted 4,748 days.

Wenger, whose team face Olympiakos tonight in the second Champions League group game, having won their first Group H match 3-2 at Standard Liege, revealed that he had been interviewed previously for the job in 1995.

But after discussing the position with the chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, in a restaurant near the King’s Road in west London, on that occasion the board decided not to appoint him. “I believe they had already made up their mind when they interviewed me the first time to give the job to Bruce Rioch,” said the 59-year-old, who reaches his landmark on Thursday. “Maybe he was a better candidate than I was at the time.

“I went to Japan but I was not disappointed at all because I had a fantastic time in Japan and I decided to only come back to Europe for a big club. I still had good relations with Arsenal, I was friends with David (Dein), so I had no problem with that. I understood. My first impression was to convince people I have the quality to do the job that I have. I still try to do that today. It has not changed.”

In October 1996 foreign managers and their ability to operate in England were viewed with scepticism. Wenger, who arrived from Grampus Eight, believes his success, which includes three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and an unbeaten 2003-04 team, the Invincibles, has been a major factor in changing this perception.

“It is difficult to put into context today. Because today (when) every foreign manager comes in it is on a red carpet. It was not like that when I arrived. There was a history and belief in England that the foreign manager could not be successful. Now you have a different feeling, now you think only foreign managers can be successful. That is wrong as well.

“I believe I contributed to the change in attitude about foreign managers. That can look pretentious but I don’t think it is at all. I can show some articles where people tried to prove that the foreign managers can never win an English championship. That has changed and I have certainly contributed to that. But I am also one of the few who also defends English managers.”

Wenger, however, agrees it was a gamble to offer him the job. “Yes, when I think retrospectively, that is the biggest surprise to me. Because at that time, what Arsenal did, you needed to be a little bit crazy. Crazy in the sense that I had no name, I was foreign, there was no history. They needed to be, maybe not crazy, but brave.”

Could Wenger have had such success at any other club other than Arsenal? “I don’t believe I could only have done that at Arsenal. But I believe I was lucky to find at Arsenal the support I found and that is important for success. But I was quite successful in the clubs where I worked before (Nancy, Monaco, Grampus Eight), but I have always found support where I worked.”

Wenger named the 2003-04 unbeaten league season as his highlight, adding: “The most important thing for me is that there is a passion here in this country that nowhere else in the world has. To play a whole season unbeaten. No matter how much money anyone else has invested, no one else has done that.”

Vito Mannone continues in place of Manuel Almunia for tonight’s game though the first-choice goalkeeper, along with Theo Walcott, should be in contention for Sunday’s match against Blackburn – also the opposition for Wenger’s first game in charge which Arsenal won 2-0.

The Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner will miss tonight’s game after crashing his black Aston Martin on the way to training. The Ambulance Service said he had a “very lucky escape” after being left with a pain in his shoulder and grazes on one of his knees when his car left the road on the A1.

There was more bad news for Arsenal when their Brazilian midfielder Denilson was ruled out for two months with a small fracture in his back he picked up in the 4-2 defeat at Manchester City on September 12th.

GuardianService

Group H

ALKMAAR v STANDARD LIEGE

AZ Alkmaar will be seeking to register their first victory of their campaign when they meet Standard Liege. The Dutch champions were beaten 1-0 at Olympiacos in their opener but should find Standard more obliging opponents.

Alkmaar are one of this season’s Champions League newcomers but they bring with them a magnificent home record in Europe – losing just one of the 33 matches they have played.

Liege have been hit by the loss of captain Steven Defour to a broken foot.