Arsenal fan favourite and former interim boss Freddie Ljungberg has today announced he will leave Arsenal in pursuit of his own management career.
The former midfielder had to step in in the winter months this season as he looked to steady the ship post Unai Emery. In very difficult circumstances, with a squad in disarray and little to no backroom staff, Freddie performed with admirable patience and attitude to stop the club from completely falling apart.
I have decided to leave my first team assistant coaching role at @Arsenal to progress my management experience. I have been involved with this club on and off since 1998 and am grateful for all the opportunities they have given me both as a player and as a coach. pic.twitter.com/KZjIeVFaB4
— Freddie Ljungberg (@freddie) August 22, 2020
It is no secret that the Swede wants to become a manager himself and him leaving his post at Arsenal will see him pursue a career as a manager elsewhere.
Mikel Arteta was expected to make changes to his backroom staff this summer anyway and this news is expected to accelerate that. Many are dreaming about the arrival of Xabi Alonso – we can hope…
The Atheltic’s David Ornstein tweeted on Saturday that Freddie did not current have a job waiting for him – but wanted to be free for when options arose.
Arsenal will have been aware of Freddie’s appetite to become a manager and therefore it makes sense for the inevitable change to happen before the new season kicks off.
Thank you for everything @freddie ♥️ pic.twitter.com/8IBp3SUrGh
— Fresh Arsenal (@Fresh_Arsenal) August 22, 2020