Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger succeeded in completing the negotiations with Manchester United while he met the deceased Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican
The meeting of Arsene Wenger with the late Pope Franciscus once helped Arsenal to complete the transfer of Danny Welbeck from Manchester United. The pope, who was the first Latin -American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
The official cause of death of the Pontiff still has to be confirmed, but after a stay of five weeks it comes to the hospital in which the bishop of Rome fought a serious case of double pneumonia. It marks the end of his 12 years as head of the Catholic Church from March 2013 to April 2025.
Pope Francis left a lasting impact with his Vatican reforms, which have had a strong position on social justice and LGTBQ+ rights. And as a well -known football fan, his widespread influence even expanded to the transfer negotiations of Arsenal during Wenger's term of office.
In September 2014, the legendary manager of the Gunners spent the transferline day of the transfer in Rome, prior to a long-term agreement to meet the Pope. Wenger participated in a charity football match in the Italian capital on the most important day for football transfers, while Arsenal was in negotiation with United to bring Welbeck to the Emirates Stadium.
In fact, the Frenchman noticed that he was negotiating with former CEO Ivan Gazidis and the agent of Welbeck in the queue to have a photo and a private audience with the Pope. And he made his priorities clear by hanging abruptly as soon as he reached the front to meet the pope.
Wenger remembered: “Meeting the Pope was an experience that I didn't want to miss. I am a Catholic, so it was an experience, and one that I accepted a long time ago. Moreover, it was a game for peace and multi-religion concept.
'I thought today we are a bit for an international religious war [in Gaza]It was a very important game. He is a great person. He shows humility and is available to meet for everyone, has a word with everyone.
“He is also a football fan. He is a proponent of San Lorenzo in Argentina. You can't be born in Argentina and not being a football fan. He spoke with many Argentines, so I wanted to be discreet and say,” It was nice to meet you and to Bye-bye. “
But Wenger, who now works as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, was still able to surpass Tottenham and complete the Welbeck deal with a bid of £ 16 million, despite the last-minute requirements for a permanent deal instead of a loan.
Wenger admitted that his early wake-up for the flight to meet the Pope unintentionally, even helped him in the negotiations about Welbeck, because he could put the time on his flight to good use.
“In 2014 you can always have contact with everyone in contact even if you travel,” he explained. “The advantage of that day was that I had to get up for my flight at 6 o'clock in the morning and I was available all day.”
Despite a career plagued by injuries and a former Red Devils player, Welbeck was a favorite among the fans during his five -year -old Stint with the Gunners. He yielded 32 goals in 126 performances, won two FA cups and reached the final of both the EFL Cup and the Europa League.