Brotherly love won't distract Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists there can be no room for sentiment or nostalgia as he looks to get past former club Monaco.

Wenger enjoyed a hugely succesful spell in the Principality when taking his first steps into what would become an illustrious coaching career, winning the Ligue 1 title in 1987-88 as well as the 1991 Coupe de France.

Under his guidance, Monaco went on to reach the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, losing to Werder Bremen, and also the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1994, all of which came against the backdrop of the Marseille match-fixing scandal.

Having turned down the Bayern Munich job to remain loyal to Monaco, Wenger was eventually sacked after a poor start to the following season and would go on to rebuild his career at Nagoya Grampus in Japan before the now infamous ’Arsene Who?’ greeted the arrival of the unheralded French coach at Highbury some 18 years ago.

Wenger, though, maintains his only focus now is to deliver the required result for Arsenal, as they look to secure a place in the last eight of Europe’s elite for first time since 2010, and not reflect on what might have been.

“I am professional, I am competitive and as much as I respect Monaco I am focused on doing my job well,” said Wenger, who expects to rest Jack Wilshere as the midfielder continues his recovery from ankle surgery.

“I give my best to win the game, respect for your opponents means you give your best – if I play against my brother, it is the same, that is part of our job.”

Wenger added: “I have never stopped working, so I have never had the time to reflect.

“But if I look at the history of my life these are the two (clubs) who have been crazy enough to let me work.

“They both had to be brave because it wasn’t obvious for Monaco to take me on or for Arsenal to employ me. I have a lot of respect for that.”

Wenger, though, will always have a sense of unease about the match-fixing scandal by Marseille owner Bernard Tapie, which arguably prevented Monaco from, domestically at least, achieving their true potential during his time at the Stade Louis II stadium.

“I needed to leave France. It was the desire to get away, but also the job (in Japan) was a fantastic opportunity to experience other cultures and to have different human experiences and that is one of the reasons I am in the job as well,” he said.

“I always respect my contracts, that is everywhere. I refused to extend my contract in Monaco, but I wanted to do my last year. I have no regrets because that is how I am and that is how I will be as long as I am alive.”

Arsenal head into the European tie on the back of impressive domestic form which has seen them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and move up into third place in the Barclays Premier League following Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.

With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla all at the top of their game, Wenger feels Arsenal have the needed quality to make an impact on the competition he has never won.

“Now it is more difficult than 10 or 15 years ago because there are more candidates, especially more in England,” said Wenger, who took Arsenal to the 2006 Champions League final, where they lost to Barcelona in Paris.

“But it is a cup competition, that means belief, commitment and being in a good period when you play the game.”

Wenger continued: “I believe yes we are in a better shape. Mentally as well, I am convinced of that.

“I look around Europe today and there are 10 teams who believe they can win it, so let us just focus on ourselves. “I do not question the hunger. It is more belief. “We feel as a team that we are on the way up and we can use the Champions League to confirm that.”