'You have to sacrifice, like a priest'

Nancy, Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal.

In managerial terms, Arsène Wenger has barely drawn breath since he was appointed by Nancy in 1984. There was a brief, two-month break between leaving France and taking up his post in Japan, but otherwise the boss has been a boss for 33 years.

It takes something - and someone - special to endure the pressures of high-profile jobs for so long, and Wenger opened up on the subject during preparations for the Liverpool game.

“I am a specialist in masochism!” he joked, before discussing the secret of his longevity.

“It’s very demanding and it’s a sacrifice of your life,” he said. “You have nothing else happening in your life. Basically you get 90 per…