The Forgotten Love Affair of Arsène Wenger and Nagoya Grampus Eight
A few months prior, the Frenchman had the likes of Bayern Munich pining for his signature. That all felt so far away now.
Like many after a tough break-up, Wenger went travelling. Not to find himself but to meet with fellow members of the football governing body's technical committee, in the UAE. The committee were there to analyse that year's World Cup, which had concluded only two months prior. While in the UAE, Wenger conducted a presentation to coaches of upcoming national teams, one of which was Japan.
Shortly after, Wenger was approached by spokespeople of Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, who held the majority share of Nagoya Grampus Eight, with the opportunity to manage the J-League side.
After some thorough thought, Wenger agreed in December of 1994 to step into the vacant managerial position come the beginning of the J-League season in March.
Under Gordon Milne, Grampus finished the previous season in the penultimate position of eleventh and were seen as somewhat of a laughing stock. Englishman Milne joined with previous successes at Leicester and Beşiktaş, but could not match his reputation, achieving a 33% win rate in his singular season with the Japanese side.
Therefore, both the media and players reacted to Wenger's appointment in a somewhat incendiary manner. Defender Tetsuo Nakanishi stated that "No one trusted Wenger at first" and that he was just seen as "another foreigner" who was clueless to Japanese football.
Initially, it looked as if these criticisms were justified, as Grampus and Wenger only managed to achieve two wins in their first ten league games. At the time, J-League fixtures could not end in draws, with matches playing into extra time and penalties if needed.
A run of form that poor would awaken a sense of panic in most managers, especially if the manager in question was already under scrutiny. But that's not how Wenger reacted. Instead, the Frenchman looked to single out the key weaknesses and found a disparity between what his team wanted and what he wanted.
It seemed that the Grampus players lacked autonomy, needing constant direction from their manager. Wenger wasn't used to this approach in Europe and looked to instil a level of independence into his players. "They wanted specific instructions from me" Wenger recalled, "the player with the ball should be in charge of the game. I had to teach them to think for themselves".
In addition to his philosophical applications, Wenger also actively reinforced the importance of nailing the basics. Often making his players perform 'standard' passing and possession drills.
Not only did Wenger manage his players on the pitch, the Frenchman similarly managed his players' diets, ensuring they were eating and drinking the correct sustenance that would ensure they were better prepared than their opposition.
These newfound tactics were unconventional but effective as Grampus went on to win seventeen out of their twenty-six games in the second half of the season and achieve their then record highest league finish of third. Wenger was awarded the J-League manager of the year award, in addition to previously struggling midfielder Dragan Stojković being awarded the league's MVP award under his tutelage.
Wenger had been the conductor of the Nagoya Grampus Eight resurgence. Showing the side that a small tweak to attitude and tactics can turn a team of underachievers into winners.
Well, almost winners. The side hadn't won anything other than pride just yet. But there was one more chance for Wenger to crown his debut season in Japan with silverware: the Emperor's Cup.
At the time, Japan's main cup competition was competed following the conclusion of the league. Grampus played their first cup fixture on the second of December away at Kyoto Sanga, which ended in a 2-1 win for Wenger's side. In the following twenty-one days, Grampus played their round of sixteen, quarter-final and semi-final fixtures, which all resulted in away wins and subsequent passage to the Emperor's Cup final on the first of January 1996.
Standing in between Grampus and cup glory was Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a team Grampus had beaten twice already that season and a side that had had a subpar season by their own standards, finishing twelfth out of the fourteen teams in the J-League.
The odds were stacked in favour of the Wenger Boys and with good reason, as they smashed Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-0, winning the club's first major honour and Wenger's first trophy since 1991.
With a league campaign to build on and silverware under their belt, it looked like Grampus were ready to push for a league title in the 1996 season. The campaign started in flying form as Grampus won their second trophy in three months after beating the league champions Yokohama Marinos 2:0 in the Japanese Super Cup. Wenger's men carried this momentum into the beginning of the league, winning ten of their first fifteen games.
But unfortunately for Grampus, the footballing world was starting to take notice of Wenger's achievements. Clubs were starting to consider the Frenchman as an option. One of which was North London's Arsenal.
Wenger managed Grampus for the last time on the 28th of August 1996, a 2-1 win against Yokohama Flügels. After the match, Wenger addressed the crowd, thanking them for their time and support over the previous eighteen months.
From both a professional and personal standpoint, Wenger's stint in Japan was a success. He introduced tactical and psychological managerial aspects that we then saw frequently throughout his time at Arsenal, but he also reinvigorated his love for both life and the Beautiful game.
"The vision I have of life changed in Japan. It was absolutely a deep, profound and very, very positive experience... I learned there how to take hold of something by letting go. That's beneficial at any level. When I got back, I was much more lucid, more detached, more serene." - Arsène Wenger
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