Wenger lived in London for a full 23 years, from the time he started coaching Arsenal in 1996 until he was sacked in 2018.
In his heart, London even felt like his hometown.
After being sacked by Arsenal, Wenger did not choose to return to France, but continued to live in his home in north London.
At the age of 69, he still got up every morning to exercise and run, wearing Arsenal jerseys, training suits, and shorts.
Occasionally, he wrote a column for a newspaper, appeared as a guest on TV, or participated in some events and commentated on matches. Life was quite enjoyable.
Not long ago, during a Premier League commentary segment on beIN Sports, Wenger once admitted that he was looking for an opportunity to return to football. Many people believed he wanted to return to coaching.
Later, the media reported that Wenger was like an old man in London, holding a briefcase and taking the bus to and from work like everyone else, as if he had lost the aura of the King of London.
At that moment, everyone realized that time was indeed a butcher's knife, and Wenger had been carved up completely.
As a former world-class coach, Wenger had kept up with the times and had become active on social media. He frequently interacted with the internet celebrity Gao Shen and shared his views on football-related topics.
Regarding the recent news of Real Madrid fans making a big fuss and calling for Gao Shen to return to the Bernabéu, Wenger tagged Gao Shen on Twitter and expressed his opinion.
"Returning to Real Madrid as head coach, I don't think it's a good idea."
This immediately drew criticism from many Real Madrid fans and netizens, but quite a few others supported him. The divide came down to the positions of Real Madrid fans and non-Real Madrid fans.
If Gao Shen was synonymous with victory, then Real Madrid fans naturally hoped he would return, while non-Real Madrid fans preferred the opposite.
It would be the same if the teams were swapped.
The uproar gradually subsided. With the return of domestic league action in various countries, and since Gao Shen had remained silent and taken a cool stance, the media and fans slowly shifted their focus back to the matches.
It was only March, and there was still some time left before the end of the season.
In the 28th round of La Liga, Real Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 2-0 at home.
The victory temporarily calmed the anger of Real Madrid fans.
In the 31st round of the Premier League, Leeds United defeated Fulham 2-1 away, continuing to lead the standings.
At Craven Cottage in London, the live broadcast camera once again captured Gao Shen, sitting in the stands watching the match with Leeds United's head of commercial operations in London and his old friend, Norman Foster.
This was Gao Shen's first public appearance after the Real Madrid incident.
After the match, the media, having received word, surrounded Gao Shen at the stadium to conduct an interview.
This was also the first time Gao Shen voiced his thoughts on returning to coaching.
"I'll say it again, I have no intention of returning to coaching for the time being. I haven't had enough rest."
Gao Shen said he was deeply moved by the support of Real Madrid fans.
"No matter what happens in the future, I will be a Real Madrid fan for life. In the past, present, and future, Real Madrid fans are my family and comrades. I will always remember the time we fought together."
But Gao Shen also urged Real Madrid fans to stay calm and rational, and not to affect the lives of his family.
"My wife, my children, and my colleagues all have their own lives and work. I don't want them to be disturbed because of me. I hope the fans can understand."
Since stepping down as Real Madrid manager, it seemed that Gao Shen hadn't done much aside from working with Leeds United.
Gao Shen laughed self-deprecatingly. "To be honest, I've been living a rather lazy life lately. Aside from picking up and dropping off my kid, I've been playing games and doing a bunch of... I don't even know how to describe it... random things."
As he said this, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
In fact, he also served as a technical development advisor to FIFA and a consultant to UEFA, but these were honorary, part-time roles. He was occasionally invited to events or meetings, and that was it.
In the end, Gao Shen once again called on fans to stay rational and avoid letting their emotions impact their lives.
This interview did not provide any inside scoop or new information.
At best, it could be seen as Gao Shen once again tactfully declining the "invitation" of Real Madrid fans.
At the same time, German and French media reported that Gao Shen had recently met with PSG chairman Nasser and Bayern Munich's Rummenigge.
This immediately linked him with two other top European clubs.
Real Madrid? Bayern Munich? Paris Saint-Germain?
That became the hottest topic for speculation.
But what no one knew was that after watching Leeds United beat Fulham at Craven Cottage, Gao Shen did not travel north with the team, but stayed behind in London.
The next day, at a high-end restaurant near Hyde Park, Gao Shen smiled and pushed the tablet in front of the elderly man across from him, who wore black-rimmed glasses and had a head full of gray hair.
If any media reporter had seen this scene, they would have been stunned.
Because that old man was Wenger.
…
Gao Shen played a clear video.
The footage appeared to be from a monitoring room. The room had a wall filled with monitors of various sizes and models. The largest screen in the center was rectangular.
Unlike the other monitors, the rectangular display seemed to be made up of three screens stitched together, showing a panoramic view of the entire training ground.
With it, you could clearly observe everything happening on the pitch, no matter how big or small.
The other screens showed different angles, and one of them was continuously refreshing with data feeds.
But the most remarkable thing was that rectangular screen. As the players ran on the training ground, the screen constantly tracked them, seemingly following a specific pattern.
"Is this what you were talking about? Artificial intelligence?" Wenger asked in surprise after watching the footage.
Gao Shen smiled and nodded, then exited the video and switched to another clip.
It was of the first team's training ground.
Wenger recognized it immediately as the Leeds United AXA Centre.
Why?
Because three years ago, the media had reported that Leeds United had installed a massive TV wall, 10 meters long and 5 meters high, next to the training pitch. The equipment provider was a Chinese sponsor of the club, also the supplier of the stadium's circular screen.
According to media reports at the time, Leeds United had placed four cameras around the training ground. These could transmit live footage to the big screen, allowing players and staff to clearly see everything happening in real time.
It had caused quite a stir back then.
Later, clubs like Hoffenheim and Barcelona followed suit, purchasing the same TV wall and tracking system from the Chinese supplier, including Real Madrid during Gao Shen's tenure.
After Wenger was sacked, Arsenal also purchased the same system that summer.
Because it was truly effective. Especially the tracking system, which was fully automated and required no operator input.
In other words, once the club invested in this setup, video analysts could save an enormous amount of time.
But what Gao Shen wanted to show Wenger was obviously not just the giant display, but a technical demonstration.
When Leeds United players began training, the screen constantly broadcasted everything in real time. This screen was clearly synchronized with the rectangular screen in the monitoring room.
What truly shocked Wenger came soon after.
When a forward received the ball with his back to goal and made a mistake during the stop-turn sequence, the screen immediately triggered an alert.
The coaching staff paused the session and brought the player over to review the replay and close-up footage on the screen. They then offered technical guidance, corrections, and explanations, helping the player clearly understand the mistake and how to fix it.
The second video showed a defensive transition.
When a player's running or passing choices were suboptimal, the system immediately issued a warning and suggested corrections based on previous patterns. It allowed the player to absorb the feedback while the memory was still fresh.
Watching this, Wenger couldn't help but recall Gao Shen's long-standing coaching habit.
After every match and every training session, he would prepare an analysis report for each player, often including video clips. This helped the players clearly understand their mistakes and areas for improvement.
Many coaches had learned this method from him.
What was being shown now was clearly a more advanced version of that practice.
Or rather, the artificial intelligence version.
As a former coach himself, Wenger knew that every bit of progress a player makes comes from relentless repetition, polishing every detail over time.
That old saying, "one minute on stage takes ten years of practice backstage," was absolutely true.
In the past, Gao Shen's approach was time-consuming and labor-intensive. But now, with this system, and especially the use of AI, training had become far more efficient and effective.
"You've taken Leeds United this far already?" Wenger said in disbelief.
It was genuinely stunning.
As Gao Shen's old friend, Wenger had often heard him talk about introducing technology into football, but he had never imagined that Gao Shen had taken it this far.
"This AI system is still in development, but I believe it's the future. Every professional club, even all professional sports, will depend on it," Gao Shen explained.
Wenger nodded repeatedly. "I have a question. You're using ultra-HD camera arrays and positioning tech to do this, but every club and manager has their own tactics. Different sports have different standards. How do you plan to adapt?"
"We're a technical service provider. We offer personalized solutions," Gao Shen replied with a smile.
Wenger let out a surprised breath. "So you're not coaching anymore, you're selling products now?"
Gao Shen chuckled. "It's not that simple. I'm showing you all this today because I want you to consider joining my company. Together, we can revolutionize professional football!"
(To be continued.)