Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has revealed that the Spanish outfit had approached Arsene Wenger about the possibility of becoming head coach, but were unable to tempt him into leaving Arsenal.
Eventually, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini arrived from fellow Primera Division outfit Villarreal to succeed Juande Ramos at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this week.
Perez admits that he did make contact with the 59-year-old Wenger, but found that the French coach was committed to staying at Arsenal.
“From the beginning we have worked on two possibilities – Wenger and Pellegrini,” Perez told L’Equipe.
“We have always been attracted by the Frenchman and we talked to him several times.
“He didn’t come because he feels very responsible about what has happened and what will happen at Arsenal. He didn’t want to abandon the club that he has given such a lot to.
“But as [director general Jorge] Valdano said: ‘Pellegrini is the Wenger of Spanish football’.”
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