The Arsenal legend that Renee Slegers says is her “big inspiration” | OneFootball

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 01: Renee Slegers, Manager of Arsenal, walks with their winners medal during the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026 Final match between Arsenal Women FC and SC Corinthians at Arsenal Stadium on February 01, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers has revealed that the men’s team’s former manager Arsene Wenger is one of her idols.

But she added that she did not get chance to speak at length with him when he was one of the dignitaries at the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final last weekend.

Caitlin Foord scored an extra-time winner against Corinthians that meant that the Gunners were the inaugural winners of the trophy.

And Slegers said in her press conference on Friday: “We just exchanged some words on the [presentation] stage and I didn’t see him afterwards unfortunately. He’s been one of my big inspirations, I watched his team play when he coached Arsenal so I didn’t know he was going to be there.

“So when I saw him at the stage, it was a special moment for me and he handed out the medals to us.”

Renee Slegers: Arsenal had to be really good to stay in the game

Reflecting on the weekend just gone, Slegers said that it was the psychological strength of her players that made the biggest impression on her.

“The main one standing out for us in our analysis and our review is the mental strength of the players because we knew we were going to be challenged with potential disruptions in the game and start-stop scenarios in the game – fouls, set-pieces, anywhere on the pitch, and then including the circumstances, the technology [VAR] that was being used.

“So we knew that we had to be really good to stay in the game and stay levelled, stay in the controlled middle. And that’s probably the one area that I’m most happy with. The penalty happens at the very end of the second half and all of a sudden we have to go into extra time.

“But the way the players picked that up, how they just stayed very levelled in the moment, focusing on what they had to do on the task, not getting emotional, there was no panic. They were just on the task, on it, on the job, and they did that together. That’s the part that impressed me the most.”

Arsenal have a big challenge on Sunday as they host current league leaders Manchester City at the Emirates in their return to Women’s Super League action.