France president Emmanuel Macron dubbed Arsene Wenger's achievements as Arsenal manager "a success story for the French league".
Macron praised Wenger's longevity and thinks the 68-year-old is now in a position to use his experience to help the sports community in his home country.
Wenger remains unsure of his future in football, having said that he wants to give himself "a little distance" from the game before making a decision on a new position.
After winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France with Monaco, Wenger led Arsenal to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cup triumphs in his 22-year stay in north London.
"He's a success story for the French league. His success came in his longevity," Macron told Telefoot.
"He remained at the very top the entire time. He had very tricky moments.
"I hope he'll be able to aid the sports community with his experience."
Macron spoke of his love of the Marseille side which won the Champions League in 1993 and praised the club's current crop after making the Europa League final.
"I'm from the Marseille generation," said the president. "The genius of that team was constantly reinventing themselves.
"There were a lot of players that made me dream. Of course, there was Jean-Pierre Papin and I also liked Chris Waddle because he had that inimitable style, that nonchalance.
"I enjoyed the Marseille team from this year and I went to see them at the beginning of the season.
"I think Rudi Garcia is a great coach, he has been able to give a lot of stability to the team. He has given them a frame in which to grow and it's a team that has improved a lot.
"The beginning was difficult, the fans can be unfairly demanding sometimes, but the end was great."
Comments
SHARE