Arsene Wenger reveals he has not watched a single Arsenal game since being brutally axed by club
EMBITTERED Arsene Wenger has shunned Arsenal since his exit at the end of last season - having not watched a single game since Unai Emery took charge, he has told a fan.
The 68-year-old Frenchman had seen 1,228 of the Gunners games in a row, and more than 110,000 minutes, during his 22 years at the helm.
But after claiming it was 'not his decision' to leave the Emirates, is now refusing to watch the club he transformed after arriving in 1996 - preferring to spend his time painting instead.
Arsenal fan Niall Moran, 20, met the former Gunners boss on Monday night at the Best Fifa Football Awards, at which Luka Modric was crowned the world's top player.
Lifelong supporter of the North London club Mr Moran asked Wenger - who has no role at the club anymore - what he thought of the new signings that had arrived at the Emirates in the summer.
He was shocked when Wenger told him he had not watched any of Arsenal's games.
Mr Moran, who had sneaked into a backstage area at the awards with the help of former Chelsea ace Didier Drogba, said: "I had to act like I fit in at the event.
"I was speaking to Arsene Wenger and I asked him what he thought about the new signings at Arsenal so far.
"He told me he did not really know about them and he has not watched any Arsenal games this season - he said he has been travelling and painting.
"He also said he had been relaxing in France and that the weather was beautiful.
"Because I was trying to fit in, I couldn't really ask him why he hadn't been watching Arsenal's games."
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The news that Wenger - who was famed during his time at the club for spending all of his spare time obsessively watching football videos - is showing no interest in Arsenal's fortunes will shock fans for whom he was a divisive figure in latter years.
It also contrasts with the warm reception afforded to long term rival Sir Alex Ferguson when he returned to Old Trafford earlier this month to rapturous applause after recovering from a serious illness.
And it follows recent criticism of his reign at the club from one of his players.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech, 36, slammed his former boss this week, claiming Arsenal had fallen short because of Wenger's obsession with the style of play and not with winning.
The Gunners suffered defeats at the hands of champions Manchester City and Chelsea in the first two games of the season, but are now on a six-game winning streak under ex-Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery.
Arsenal brought in five new signings in the summer, with midfielders Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, goalkeeper Bernd Leno and defenders Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner all arriving.
After a difficult start to the season, the Gunners sit sixth in the Premier League having won four games on the bounce.
Goalie Cech revealed the side's mentality had changed since Wenger left, saying he placed more importance on playing the 'Arsenal way' than winning points.
He added that the Frenchman had not been demanding enough on his players.
Lifelong Gunners fan Mr Moran revealed he had also met new boss Emery at the glitzy Fifa bash on Monday night at London's Royal Festival Hall.
He said: "I told Unai Emery to win the Champions League for me this year, he was a really nice bloke and told me he would."