On this day in 2018, Arsene Wenger announced he would step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season after almost 22 years in the role.

Appointed in September 1996, the Frenchman had presided over a glittering period in the club’s history which yielded three Premier League titles, the last of them famously secured by his “Invincibles”, who went through the 2003-04 league campaign unbeaten.

In addition, former Nancy, Monaco and Grampus Eight boss Wenger guided the club to FA Cup glory on seven occasions and secured 20 successive seasons of Champions League football during a reign spanning 1,235 matches, 828 of them in the top flight.

However, his announcement came amid mounting disquiet over the club’s showing in both the Premier League and Europe, with three FA Cup successes in four years failing to placate his critics.

Wenger said: “After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season.

“I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.”

Majority owner Stan Kroenke paid tribute to the man who had gone toe-to-toe with Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.

Kroenke said: “This is one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport.

“One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch.

“His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched. Arsene has unparalleled class and we will always be grateful to him.”

Wenger, described by Ferguson as “without doubt one of the greatest Premier League managers” and by former Gunners skipper Tony Adams as “the greatest Arsenal manager”, bowed out after a 1-0 final-day victory at Huddersfield on May 13, 2018.

The 68-year-old said afterwards: “I feel that I got a lot of respect not only from our fans, but from England. I would reiterate I loved English football, but I also learned to love England. You do not stay 22 years if you don’t like it.”

Albania coach Sylvinho looked up to Arsene Wenger as his inspiration, while he hailed Pep Guardiola as a "genuis".

Sylvinho did not have much success during spells in charge of Lyon in France and Corinthians in his homeland of Brazil, but has excelled in his first job as a national team manager.

He took over Albania's national team at the start of 2023, and guided them to the Euro 2024 qualification. It is just the second time the Balkan nation have progressed to the finals of UEFA's flagship competition, and his efforts saw him rewarded with the Golden Decoration of the Eagle by Albania's prime minister.

Sylvinho lost just one of his opening eight games as Albania coach, with that defeat coming in his first match against Poland, though his side did slip to a 3-0 friendly defeat to Chile on Friday.

His success, though, should perhaps not come as a surprise given who the 49-year-old played under during his time at Arsenal and then Barcelona.

Sylvinho said to Stats Perform: "Outside Brazil, my first manager was Arsene Wenger. I learnt a lot from him, he was a person of a very high level in terms of management, education, football and vision. 

"I had the chance to work with [Frank] Rijkaard at Barcelona, he's a great manager too. I finished the 2008-2009 season with a treble and [Pep] Guardiola was the coach. 

"He was another coach I learnt a lot from. He's a genius. He's different. And you learn a lot from him too."

Before moving to Europe, Sylvinho spent time with Corinthians, where he developed under Nelsinho Baptista and Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Sylvinho added: "Nelsinho Baptista was a coach I worked with for a while at Corinthians. He was a very competitive coach, with a great sense of humour and a very serious line-up, as was his entire career. 

" In 1998, we were Brazilian champions and made a leap forward technically as a team, and I also saw myself in one of the best moments of my time as a professional footballer.

"Vanderlei Luxemburgo was our coach. We had a very technical team, very well-adjusted on the pitch, and very well-coordinated."

Mikel Arteta hailed a “magic night” at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to reach first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Portugal, a goal from Leandro Trossard just before half-time levelled the tie late in the first half, but there Arsenal’s momentum stalled as they failed to wrap the game up inside 90 minutes.

After a nervous extra-time it took heroics from goalkeeper David Raya, saving twice in the shoot-out, to put the hosts into the last-eight for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s team faced Barcelona in 2010.

“A magic night,” said Arteta. “We expected a really tough opponent. It’s very difficult to generate momentum and that’s credit to them.

“It’s a huge experience for us. We had to do it as well through penalties. Credit to David who had some difficult moments to start but showed incredible determination and stood up and got rewarded.”

Arsenal, roared on by a home support determined to drag their team through, began with urgency befitting of their predicament, but they suffered a frustrating first half.

Not until four minutes before the break did the second leg tip their way, and the goal was brilliantly made by Martin Odegaard, receiving the ball from Trossard 30-yards out and taking four Porto players out of the game with a superb slide-rule pass.

There on the end of if was Trossard, skipping in off the left and sliding it cooly past Diogo Costa for 1-0.

Odegaard thought he’d given Arsenal the lead in the tie when he tapped into an empty goal in the second half, only for his effort to be ruled out for a foul by Kai Havertz on veteran defender Pepe. A furious Arteta was booked for his protests.

Gabriel Jesus came off the bench and almost settled things with his first touch, goalkeeper Costa spreading himself well and deflecting his effort wide, before Odegaard shot inches past the post after the goalkeeper beat out Bukayo Saka’s shot.

Porto’s threat on the break lingered throughout the ensuing extra 30 minutes, though penalties had long looked the likeliest destination.

So it proved, and it was goalkeeper Raya who was the hero, saving from defender Wendell and first-leg match-winner Galeno to send Arsenal through.

“For (the players) to do it when the club hasn’t done it for 14 years, I tell you it will be a boost,” said Arteta. “The margins are so small.

“I see how much they want it, how much they try and they are able to sacrifice anything to win. When you play like this at the end good things are going to come your way.

“It’s another big step (in the season), especially as a club. For seven years we haven’t been in this competition and for 14 years we haven’t got this far. That tells you the difficulty of it. We want more and we’re going to go for it that’s for sure.

“It’s the first time that I’ve done it in the Champions League. I try to learn every day, get advice and that’s why you have good people around you, great coaches around you as well to help you and make you better.”

Porto boss Sergio Conceicao was involved with an altercation on the pitch with Arteta at the end of the game, and gave a terse explanation of what was said.

“During the game, (Arteta) turned to the bench and in Spanish – it must be a Spanish coach thing because it was the same thing with (Pep) Guardiola – he insulted my family,” he said.

“In the end I told him to pay attention because who he insulted is no longer with us, and to worry about coaching his team, because due to individual quality he has an obligation to do more and better.”

David Raya saved two penalties as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 in a shoot-out to reach their first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.

Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike cancelled out a first-leg deficit but Mikel Arteta’s side then struggled to create chances to win the game as the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

All four of Arsenal’s penalty takers were faultless as Raya kept out spot-kicks from Wendell and Galeno to take the Premier League leaders past the last-16 stage for the first time since 2010.

As a player, Arteta suffered four straight defeats in this round of the competition but – having ended Arsenal’s seven-year Champions League exile – he has now guided his side into the final eight.

They could yet face rivals Manchester City, with the draw made on Friday, but for now they will be happy to have banished painful memories of defeats at this stage down the years – with seven consecutive exits in this round under Arsene Wenger.

Declan Rice admits Arsenal need to find their Champions League “savvy” as Mikel Arteta’s young side continue to learn on the job.

The Gunners lost the first leg of their last 16 tie away to Porto on Wednesday night as Galeno’s brilliant last-gasp strike earned the hosts a 1-0 victory.

It extends Arsenal’s wretched record in Champions League knockout games – they still have not won outside of the group stages since 2010, having exited at the last-16 stage for seven consecutive years under Arsene Wenger.

Arteta secured a return to the top table of European football for the first time since 2017 but Arsenal’s hopes of progressing further suffered a blow at the Estadio do Dragao.

From their starting XI in Porto, only Kai Havertz had any previous experience of playing a Champions League knockout game and Rice conceded that lack of nous cost Arsenal late on.

“I think the last minute is probably a bit of inexperience,” he replied when asked if Arteta’s young team were on a steep learning curve.

“Just probably having a bit more savviness, in terms of it’s the 93rd minute, you look up at the clock, it’s 0-0, we gave a ball away on the edge of our box twice and then he bends one in the top bins.

“So we have got to have a bit of savviness to see out the game, because if you can’t win, definitely don’t lose – especially in a knockout game. But look, we are still positive. It is half-time in a two-leg tie and we will be ready for the next leg.

“You look at our team, we are such a young group. Some of us have not played in the Champions League before, so it is all about learning on the job.

“But we have to play better than we did tonight. They made it really tough, but in the second leg we will be ready to go and give it everything.

“I think it is good to have nerves – you get that experience and you need that to play in the biggest games. Whether there is nerves or no nerves, I think these are the type of games we need to learn from on the way and it is going to make us better overall.”

While the disappointment from the defeat will linger until the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on March 12, Rice knows Arsenal cannot suffer a Champions League hangover.

They are back in Premier League action as they host Newcastle on Saturday.

“Look, we have lost games this year and drawn games, and I have seen the changing room after and it’s been really bad when we have lost and drawn games,” added England international Rice.

“But here, we have just lost, but in there is a real positivity around the group at the minute, around the club.

“We have had such a good start to 2024, I think we take the positives from this game tonight, but also see where we can improve. It is going to be a big game in two weeks’ time and we will be ready for it.”

Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal’s Champions League history is irrelevant and challenged his side to prove they belong at the tournament’s business end as they prepare to face Porto in the last 16.

The Gunners are back in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in seven years but have failed to progress past this stage since 2010.

Arsenal will be firm favourites at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night as Arteta looks to go further in the Champions League than he ever managed as a player at the club.

“They (the players) know that we have not been in the competition for seven years,” the Spaniard said.

“Obviously some of them were here and they know the story and they know that what happened in the past is irrelevant, it is the challenge and ambition that we have now to go through.”

Asked if he felt it was a mental block that caused Arsene Wenger’s side to fall at the last-16 hurdle so many times, Arteta replied: “Someone called (Lionel) Messi was another obstacle as well!

“And Bayern Munich that we faced twice. This competition is what it is. Individual quality is extremely important. It comes down to details and you need your players at your best when the occasion arises.”

Arteta’s young squad had very little Champions League experience heading into a group stage they dominated, winning four games and progressing as winners with a fixture to spare.

Now the knockout stages present another chance for both manager and team to prove they belong at this level.

“We don’t have the experience, that’s the reality – 95 per cent of these players haven’t played this competition, they haven’t played the last 16.

“I haven’t (managed at this stage). But they have so much energy and enthusiasm to play well and that’s our desire and how we’re going to play the game.

“It’s great. We have earned the right to be here. It’s been seven years since we’ve been at the top table for these kind of matches and 14 years since we were able to go to the next stage.

“That’s the challenge. We know what is ahead of us, but we are very excited to face it and to go for it with full belief, that’s for sure.”

An extra incentive for Arsenal to banish past ghosts is the prospect of going all the way to just their second Champions League final, with Wembley playing host to the showpiece event this year.

“It should be incredible to have that feeling to lift that cup, in London, the first of June. It is there,” added Arteta.

“It is in our minds. It is a dream, but there are a lot of things you have to earn the right to do before that and tomorrow we have a big obstacle ahead of us. We are really looking forward to it.”

A bronze statue of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lifting the Premier League trophy has been unveiled outside the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger won three top-flight titles and the FA Cup on seven occasions while in charge of the Gunners between October 1996 and May 2018.

The Frenchman managed 1,235 matches during his time in north London and helped the club go unbeaten in the league during their 2004 title success.

Arsenal also spent 20 successive seasons in the Champions League under Wenger, including reaching the 2006 final, where they were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona.

The 3.5-metre statue of the 73-year-old, created by award-winning sculptor Jim Guy, was fixed into position outside the North Bank Stand on Friday morning.

Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis told the Gunners’ website: “We’re delighted to recognise and celebrate Arsene Wenger’s outstanding leadership and career at Arsenal Football Club.

“Arsene’s contribution to, and achievements with, the club mark him out as the club’s greatest manager.

“He treated the club and its supporters to many trophies and fantastic memories and brought a revolution in the running of the club, an unbeaten season and the move to Emirates Stadium.

“It is fitting, therefore, that as a mark of the club’s enduring respect and gratitude a magnificent statue of Arsene now stands outside Emirates Stadium.”

Wenger will be the club’s guest of honour for the Emirates Cup match against Monaco on Wednesday and is due to visit the statue in the coming days.

His statue joins five others – featuring Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Herbert Chapman, Ken Friar and Thierry Henry – on the podium around the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who was signed by Wenger in 2011, said: “It’s such a great tribute that the club has done something special for Arsene that he fully deserves and merits.

“With a statue now at the stadium, Arsene can have that recognition and be here at our club forever.

“He chose me to be one of his players and selected me to be the captain of the club and that’s something I will never forget.”

Mikel Arteta labelled Arsene Wenger as the most influential manager in Premier League history, after the former Arsenal boss was inducted into the competition's Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, Wenger was inducted alongside Alex Ferguson, with the pair becoming the first managers to go into the Hall of Fame after 16 players had already been added.

Wenger won three Premier League titles – including with the 2003-04 'Invincibles' – and seven FA Cups during his long stint in charge of Arsenal.

He is renowned for introducing a revolutionary football philosophy, which included a commitment to attacking football.

"I don't think any other managers have had a more impact," Arteta said.

"Some managers have brought different ideas, different characters, different competitions. 

"He opened the Premier League to the world in a different way to other managers. He had a vision that was much wider than any other manager had at the time.

"England and the Premier League have to be very grateful forever to this man."

Arteta played under Wenger for five seasons between 2011 and 2016, before becoming Arsenal boss himself in 2019.

After winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta has the Gunners leading the Premier League by eight points with 10 games to go.

On track for Arsenal’s first title in 19 years, Arteta has credited Wenger for helping him as a player and then in the next step of his career.

"I had a dream to play for this club and that was because of the way Arsenal played," added Arteta.

"It was so attractive. I had a phenomenal time with him. He pushed me as well at the end of my career to become a coach.

"We had a conversation and I asked him what he would do in my position because I had doubts in my career over whether I wanted to continue my journey as a coach.

"He helped me at the club and at the academy to do my badges and again, he was an inspiration."

Mikel Arteta labelled Arsene Wenger as the most influential manager in Premier League history, after the former Arsenal boss was inducted into the competition's Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, Wenger was inducted alongside Alex Ferguson, with the pair becoming the first managers to go into the Hall of Fame after 16 players had already been added.

Wenger won three Premier League titles – including with the 2003-04 'Invincibles' – and seven FA Cups during his long stint in charge of Arsenal.

He is renowned for introducing a revolutionary football philosophy, which included a commitment to attacking football.

"I don't think any other managers have had a more impact," Arteta said.

"Some managers have brought different ideas, different characters, different competitions. 

"He opened the Premier League to the world in a different way to other managers. He had a vision that was much wider than any other manager had at the time.

"England and the Premier League have to be very grateful forever to this man."

Arteta played under Wenger for five seasons between 2011 and 2016, before becoming Arsenal boss himself in 2019.

After winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta has the Gunners leading the Premier League by eight points with 10 games to go.

On track for Arsenal’s first title in 19 years, Arteta has credited Wenger for helping him as a player and then in the next step of his career.

"I had a dream to play for this club and that was because of the way Arsenal played," added Arteta.

"It was so attractive. I had a phenomenal time with him. He pushed me as well at the end of my career to become a coach.

"We had a conversation and I asked him what he would do in my position because I had doubts in my career over whether I wanted to continue my journey as a coach.

"He helped me at the club and at the academy to do my badges and again, he was an inspiration."

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The great rivals are the first managers to enter the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2021.

Ferguson managed Manchester United from the start of the Premier League era until his retirement in 2013, winning a record 13 titles.

Wenger led Arsenal to three championships in the longest-serving reign in competition history – from 1996 until 2018.

Only Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (four) and Roma coach Jose Mourinho (three) have joined Ferguson and Wenger in winning multiple titles.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to welcome our first two managers into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger both made a remarkable contribution to the history of football in this country.   

"They brought unparalleled levels of success to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, raising standards and thrilling fans with a rivalry which resulted in an astonishing 16 title wins between them."

Ferguson added: "I'm truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It's an honour when you receive recognition like this.

"However, it's not just about me as a person. It's about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I'm also proud for the club, the staff and my players.

"My job was to send the fans home happy. United's history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them."

Wenger said: "I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.

"I'd like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger."

The pair join 16 players in the Hall of Fame, with three more to be voted in by fans from a 15-man shortlist announced on Thursday.

Lionel Messi's stunning performances at the 2022 World Cup "show the evolution of modern sport", according to former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Wenger made the observation while speaking alongside Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann at a press conference for FIFA's Technical Study Group.

The tournament in Qatar has seen a number of older players feature in starring roles for their national teams, with 35-year-old Lionel Messi set to lead his Argentina team out against France in the World Cup final.

Luka Modric, 37, impressed for Croatia as they reached the semi-finals, while Olivier Giroud will likely lead the line for France on Sunday having broken Thierry Henry's record as Les Bleus' all-time top goalscorer at the age of 35.

At the other end of the scale, 19-year-old Jude Bellingham was a driving force in England's run to the quarter-finals and Kylian Mbappe, at 23, can become the youngest player to win two World Cup finals since Pele if France are victorious against Argentina.

Wenger feels this World Cup is demonstrating how modern sport is advancing, with new technology helping participants to lengthen their careers.

"I managed [Arsenal] in 2006 against Barcelona in the Champions League final and Messi was already starting to play," Wenger said at the press conference.

"That’s 2006, we are in 2022 – that’s 16 years later and he’s still in contest for being player of the tournament.

"This tournament shows the evolution of modern sport.

"This tournament is the tournament of young players who are ready earlier and earlier in top-level sport, and as well the tournament of players who last longer and longer than ever before.

"We have not experienced World Cups with 35-year-old players being dominant, but we have Giroud, we have Messi, Modric – 37 – dominant players at this tournament.

"It shows that despite all the negativity about health and welfare of players, the life of a top-level sportsman lasts longer. They are ready earlier and they finish later."

Sunday's match likely represents the final chance for Messi to get his hands on the World Cup, the trophy that has eluded him for so long, including a heartbreaking extra-time defeat to Germany in the 2014 final.

With Messi potentially about to crown his career, Klinsmann believes there is a strong desire in the game for Argentina's star man to finally lift international football's top prize.

"Messi - everybody wants him to do well," Klinsmann stated. "We talked before the tournament about the big superstars who will put their stamp on the tournament and most of them delivered.

"Most of us are Messi fans no matter what. We want him to win the World Cup and be seen on the same level in his home country as [Diego] Maradona.

"We all know that for [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Messi it could be the last tournament. They have established themselves on the world stage for the last 15 years."

Klinsmann cited Mbappe as the potential heir to Messi and Ronaldo's throne, adding: "We talk about those big superstars towards the end of their career but also who is the next one taking over.

"Mbappe has the advantage because of his age.

"I was amazed about a lot of young players coming through, like [Cody] Gakpo from the Netherlands, or even with Germany going home early, there’s a special kid coming up with [Jamal] Musiala."

The World Cup in Qatar has come under intense scrutiny, particularly on the host nation's treatment of migrant workers and views on same-sex marriages.

With the end in sight, FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled it "the best World Cup ever", with Klinsmann agreeing it had been a great tournament.

"It’s been wonderful," Klinsmann declared. "[A] huge success off the field and on the field.

"We all have many moments with people here, the atmosphere, the stadiums, the organisation itself.

"Every time you are at a World Cup you think it’s the best. I’ll leave that up to other people. It’s been an unbelievable experience and tomorrow will be an amazing final."

The expanded 2026 World Cup may not necessarily feature three-team groups amid criticism of the proposed reforms, says FIFA's chief of global football Arsene Wenger.

In January 2017, the FIFA Council voted to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup finals from 32 to 48, with the first tournament under the new format set to take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada in four years' time. 

FIFA initially said the new format will contain 16 groups of three teams, with the top two in each advancing to a 32-team knockout stage, but that proposal has attracted renewed criticism recently.

Several thrilling group-stage finales at the current tournament in Qatar, where Japan and South Korea advanced in dramatic circumstances and the possibility of Poland and Mexico being separated via their disciplinary records emerged, have provoked calls to abandon the plan.

The existing proposal would see an end to groups being decided by simultaneous fixtures on matchday three, but Wenger has revealed the format could yet be altered.

"This is not decided, but it will be 16 groups of three, 12 groups of four, or two sides of six groups of four, like you organise two 24-team [tournaments]," Wenger said on Sunday.

"I will not be able to decide that, it will be decided by the FIFA Council, and I think it will be done in the next year."

Earlier this week, it was also reported FIFA were considering the introduction of group-stage penalty shoot-outs under the new format, with winning teams being granted a bonus point. 

Sixteen cities were officially selected to host games at the 2026 World Cup earlier this year, with Vancouver, Toronto, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City joining 11 locations across the USA.

Criticism of Louis van Gaal as a "conservative coach" is unfair, according to Arsene Wenger, who believes the Netherlands boss will "gamble" when required.

Van Gaal has led the Oranje to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in his third stint in the job, beating the United States 3-1 on Saturday.

The Netherlands also reached the semi-finals under the former Ajax and Barcelona coach in 2014, before missing out on qualification for Russia 2018 in his absence.

Wenger, leading FIFA's technical study group, therefore believes Van Gaal deserves more leeway as his style of play in this tournament is scrutinised.

After finishing top of Group A, Van Gaal told journalists to go home if the Netherlands' football was "terribly boring", as the accusation had been.

"I would not classify Louis van Gaal as a conservative coach," Wenger said on Sunday. "I believe he has done remarkable work in his life and have a big respect for what he has delivered.

"He is a bit more cautious until now in the game. I agree with you because Dutch football, I have to give them credit, historically, they've always been attacking.

"In this competition, the numbers of possession is a bit less. That's it.

"I don't know if he plays deliberately conservatively or whether he does that to be more efficient. But at the moment, it works for him.

"And I wouldn't judge the potential for the Dutch until now. I think he knows. Van Gaal has huge experience.

"And I was thinking last night this guy, he comes back and he's in the quarter-final again. He's in the last eight with Holland, and before he came back, Holland had struggled.

"So, he has something special to carry the belief of a team, always to find the places in the tournament, and I have a huge respect for that.

"Let's see how he develops his capabilities as well to go for a gamble. If the game is tied later on in the match, I'm convinced [he will]."

Arsene Wenger has suggested Germany's early elimination from the World Cup was linked to their decision to carry out "political demonstrations" in Qatar.

Germany slumped to a second consecutive group-stage exit as Japan and Spain progressed from Group E, failing to recover from a surprise 2-1 defeat to the Samurai Blue on matchday one.

Ahead of that fixture, Germany's players covered their mouths during a team photo to protest FIFA's decision to ban captain Manuel Neuer from wearing the OneLove armband – a gesture intended to promote an anti-discriminatory message in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

A statement from the team said "denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice", but some – most notably Belgium winger Eden Hazard – claimed the protest may have distracted Germany's players.

Wenger, the head of FIFA's Technical Study Group for the tournament, agreed with that suggestion, saying: "When you go to a World Cup, you know you can't lose the first game. 

"The teams who have the experience to perform in tournaments like France and England played well in the first game.

"The teams who were mentally ready, with a mindset to focus on competition, and not the political demonstrations."

Speaking after the defeat to Japan, Germany coach Hansi Flick insisted his players were "not at all" distracted by their decision to take a stand on the OneLove debate.

Germany were one of several European teams to initially commit to wearing the armband, but each backed down ahead of the World Cup after facing the apparent threat of sporting sanctions.

Arsene Wenger has accused Liverpool midfielder Fabinho of "cheating" in order to get Alexis Sanchez sent off in Tuesday's Champions League tie with Inter.

Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by the Italian champions in the second leg at Anfield but still advanced to the quarter-finals by virtue of a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Sanchez's dismissal came at a pivotal moment in the tie, the Chile international being shown a second yellow two minutes after Lautaro Martinez had struck to give Inter hope.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United player clearly got some of the ball but followed through on Fabinho, who got back to his feet once the red card had been issued.

It was the first red card Sanchez has received in his 64 games in the Champions League, and Wenger suggested Fabinho more than played his part in the referee's decision.

"It was borderline between cheating and being clever," Wenger, who worked with Sanchez at Arsenal between 2014 and 2018, told beIN SPORTS. 

"He was cheating, he made more of it. Maybe he had pain, he was touched by Sanchez. You cannot say it was completely fake. Maybe he could have got up quicker. 

"It's one of those fouls – when it's one of your plays you say it's clever; when you're completely neutral like we're supposed to be you can say he could have made less of it.

"He didn't want to hurt him, he played the ball first."

Sanchez is the first Inter player to be given his marching orders in the knockout stages of the Champions League since Cristian Chivu against Schalke in April 2011.

The 33-year-old, who was credited with the assist for Martinez's strike, had earlier been cautioned for a lunge on Thiago Alcantara.

And Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp felt that challenge alone late in the first half was worthy of a straight red card for Sanchez.

"I think he was lucky he hadn't got a red card in the first half, going in so high on Thiago onto his knee," Klopp said at his post-match news conference. 

"Passion is good, absolutely good, but if it leads to these kind of things then it doesn't help."

On the red card incident, Klopp added: "If you can win the ball only [then it is acceptable] but if you endanger an opponent when you do it, then you don't win the ball. 

"If Fabinho goes in with the same intention, with the leg out, then both players get injured."

Despite victory on the night, Inter have now been eliminated from each of their last three Champions League knockout ties since beating Bayern Munich in the 2010-11 last 16.