© EuroFootball.com
London's "Arsenal" club strategist Arsene Wenger does not intend to leave the team after this season.
The Frenchman expressed his intention to sign a new contract with the "Gunners" and continue working at the helm of the team.
On Saturday, the match against "Chelsea" will be the 1000th for the strategist training London footballers, and at a press conference before this derby, Wenger announced his future plans.
"I am very motivated to stay here as long as possible, but I admit that reaching a thousand will be very difficult," he said.
"It is a privilege and an honor for me to be able to coach such a club on the occasion of the 1000th match. Time will tell whether I have been able to raise the team to a higher level than it was before I arrived, but I hope so," assured the 64-year-old coach.
"The club gave me an opportunity and I gave up many things to prove my loyalty. Tomorrow I will represent the team, not myself, so I will try to set aside my feelings," he added.
"Today we can already compete financially with other clubs. I will have to consider the opinions of others," said the Frenchman.
"The next stage is to compete at the highest level and win titles. We have excellent footballers, so I believe we can do it," he concluded.
Wenger took over the reins of "Arsenal" on September 30, 1996. With the team, the Frenchman has won the Premier League three times and triumphed four times in the FA Cup tournament.
