Boro Primorac: Understanding Arsenal's Man of Mystery

He has analysed every victory, every defeat and every player of the Arsene Wenger's Arsenal reign, yet Boro Primorac remains one of the most mysterious characters in the game.

There is no one in football Wenger trusts more, but many Arsenal fans are barely aware of the role he has played in every decision their club has made over the past 20 years.

Primorac is the 62-year-old Gunners first-team coach people just can not figure out.

I have been speaking to contacts within the game to try to get a better idea why and how he has become such an influential figure in the corridors of power at the Emirates Stadium.

Becoming Wenger's Ally

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The relationship between Wenger and Primorac stretches all the way back to 1994, when they joined forces at Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Wenger had been aware of Primorac's coaching work with French sides Cannes and Valenciennes and decided to hire him as an assistant at his new Japanese club.

They clicked, sharing daily conversations about their footballing beliefs in an apartment they lived in together.

Wenger took over at Arsenal in 1996, and not long afterward, it was announced that Primorac was being installed as part of his coaching staff.

In Japan, Wenger discovered the depth of Primorac's encyclopaedic knowledge of every team and player they would face. His obsession with the game helped with transfer targets too.

Primorac has shown an ability to recommend players for any position of any age. He has been the brains behind many Arsenal signings—including Patrick Vieira.

Wenger has used Primorac's football brain throughout the highs and lows of his reign in north London. You rarely see the pair together in public, as Primorac prefers a life in the background. But he is always there to give Wenger a reassuring voice or alternative opinion.

A Special Football Brain

To understand how he became so respected and trusted by Wenger, you have to know about Primorac's playing career.

He was an important player during his time. People I spoke to in Croatia described his style of play as "defining" and "revolutionary."

His ability was special, first with Velez Mostar in the Yugoslav First League and then at Hajduk Split, where he would play a strange role of attacking sweeper under the guidance of tactical pioneer Tomislav Ivic.

That team helped shape modern football with its forward-thinking approach.

His career was tainted by a 1980 European Cup quarter-final defeat to Hamburg, when he had been their best player yet was at fault for one goal and missed a penalty.

Still, the signs were clear that the man had a unique way of thinking about the game.

Defining His Role

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You won't see him in the Arsenal dugout alongside the rest of the backroom team, as Primorac spends his life in the shadows.

At matches, he will sit in the stands and head down to the tunnel moments before half-time and full-time for a quick breakdown of the game with Wenger. The manager has complete trust in his judgment and likes the fact he views from a different vantage point.

In terms of the training field, Wenger has always been pretty hands-on.

Primorac is usually out on the practice pitches too, along with fellow coaches Steve Bould and Neil Banfield. He usually takes a backseat, though, as fitness coach Tony Colbert is often the man in control of sessions.

A couple of people I spoke to close to Arsenal described Primorac as a "bibs and cones man," suggesting he helps set up the drills but does not run them.

It's largely true, but his analysis of players is what Wenger values most. He has been to watch thousands of matches in order to maintain his grip on the players he needs to know and uses scouting software to stay on top of the game.

Around their London Colney training centre, he will stand back, absorb and reflect before sharing his feelings with Wenger.

The boss does not need him by his side at all times, but he loves the fact he is always close by to lean on.

The Quiet Man

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Bernard Tapie (left)

He has no interest in media relations. He doesn't give interviews or offer journalists off-the-record insight on the goings-on at Arsenal. That's probably part of the reason Wenger loves him.

Those who have met him say he is a likable man, but he was not always such a withdrawn character.

Primorac was caught up in a scandal in France in 1993 that may have had an impact on his way of living.

He had been told by one of his players, Jacques Glassman, that he and two team-mates, Jorge Burruchaga and Christophe Robert, had deliberately thrown an end-of-season match against Olympique de Marseille.

Bernard Tapie, then the Marseille president, attempted to buy his silence, but Primorac ignored him and gave evidence. As the court case unfolded, Primorac started to become an outcast in the French game. 

He was soon out of work, and it was Wenger who handed him a branch back into the club game.

Because of his background as such a good footballer, players would open up to him too. Paul Merson once described him as "very easy to speak to and more accessible than Wenger."

If Wenger has been a father figure during his time at Arsenal, perhaps you could describe Primorac as the uncle.

Part of Arsenal's Problem

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No matter how impressive his long career in the game has been, it would be naive not to question whether his continued position alongside Wenger has become part of Arsenal's problem.

Not everyone I spoke to seemed to think he is indispensable to Arsenal.

One source described him as "a yes man" and suggested that some club officials have doubts about his importance. Another suggested his most prominent strength at this point is to massage Wenger's ego when others are questioning him.

There was a story by Duncan Wright of The Sun in March that suggested his days at Arsenal were drawing to a close and that he was ready to take up a job in Turkey.

He offered some rare words about the situation when talking to Croatian journalist Zdravko Reic, saying he does not plan to leave to take charge of Konyaspor at the end of the season (h/t Goal.com).

Most people I spoke to do not think he has any plans to become a manager again.

Looking to the Future

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Primorac does not make headlines at Arsenal, but Wenger would not have had all the success he has enjoyed with the club without him.

The only way Primorac will leave Arsenal is if the manager leaves—and at that point, Wenger would simply take him along to whatever his next job is.

This strong football marriage was the foundation upon which Wenger built his empire, and if it comes crumbling down, they will fall together.

Loyalty is a rare trait in the modern game, but Wenger pins huge importance on their bond.

The manager is expected to sign a new contract soon, and when that happens, I'm told there is definitely the possibility of a backroom reshuffle.

But Primorac will not be part of it. He is not going anywhere.

He may be a mystery to everyone else, but to Wenger, Primorac is a master of his trade.