Legendary Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger experienced a brief, awkward moment involving an elevator during his recent visit back to the Emirates Stadium.
The iconic former Arsenal boss made a rare appearance in North London to watch his old club face PSG in the first leg of their significant Champions League semi-final tie, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for the home side.
Upon his arrival at the ground, the 75-year-old Frenchman, dressed in a navy suit, entered via the players` entrance alongside his daughter, Lea. His entrance was marked by a slight hitch.
After greeting a familiar face, he was guided towards an elevator. However, as Wenger stepped inside, his attention was drawn to Arsenal`s club photographer, Stuart MacFarlane, whom he hadn`t seen in a while.
This brief distraction caused the veteran manager to miss the elevator doors closing in on him. His daughter, Lea, attempted to stop the sliding doors with her hand, but it was unsuccessful.
Thankfully, the lift`s automatic safety mechanism detected Wenger`s shoulder, stopping the doors just in time. The former boss, relieved and smiling, then proceeded to shake hands and embrace MacFarlane.
The incident prompted a humorous reaction from one fan online, who joked, “How can the lift just shut on Wenger?”
Later in the evening, Wenger was observed chatting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the executive seating area at the Emirates.
Wenger, currently serving as FIFA`s Chief of Global Football Development, was Arsenal`s manager for 1,234 matches between 1996 and 2018. During his tenure, he guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cup victories.
His closest achievement to winning the Champions League was in 2006 when Arsenal lost the final to Barcelona in Paris. Current manager Mikel Arteta and his team are hoping to reach and win the final in Munich next month.
Arsenal secured their semi-final spot against PSG by defeating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. However, the first leg started poorly for them, as Ousmane Dembélé`s superb first-time strike hit the post and found the back of the net early on.
This single goal proved to be the difference in the first leg. Arsenal`s attempts to find an equalizer were thwarted by a VAR semi-automatic offside decision and a strong performance from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
