Arsene Wenger on Arsenal Departure: 'Timing of the Announcement Was Right'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has clarified comments that seemed to indicate it was not his decision to stand down from his post at the end of the season.  

Per James Olley of the Evening Standard, at a press conference on Wednesday, the Frenchman hinted he was forced out of the club.

However, he has now insisted he merely meant the timing of the announcement of his departure was not his decision, per BBC Sport's David Ornstein:

The Gunners shook the football world last Friday when they announced Wenger would depart his role at the end of the season, bringing to a close a 22-year tenure in north London.

Though calls for his departure have become more and more prevalent as Arsenal have slipped down the English and European pecking orders, it still came as something of a surprise.

Not least because Wenger, 68, only signed a new two-year contract at the club last May, a deal many expected him to see out before leaving.

The Wall Street Journal's Joshua Robinson revealed at the time Wenger had been partially pushed towards the exit door:

And his comments on Wednesday ahead of Arsenal's crucial UEFA Europa League clash with Atletico Madrid seemed to confirm that suspicion.

But Wenger has now moved to make it clear that was not the case.