Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger officially separates from wife Annie

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger split with his wife Annie after the couple submitted papers in a court in France (Image from The Mirror)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has separated from his wife Annie after many months of reported unrest between the couple, according to The Mirror. The 65-year-old boss and Annie, who is 59 years old, agreed to a package where they divided their assets with Wenger even agreeing to support her financially.

Papers were filed in Strasbourg – the French manager’s hometown. The couple signed what is known as séparé du corps (translates to separation of bodies in English) – a document that is not exactly a divorce but a legal separation. If the judgment is not reversed in two years, ‘a divorce is automatically granted’, according to an expert on French law, as reported in the Daily Mail.

The couple have an 18-year-old daughter but the two have not been seen together in the last couple of years. They were last pictured together at an event in January 2014.

When the club was approached for a statement, a club spokesperson said: “He is an employee and we do not talk about employees’ personal issues.”

Pressure at Arsenal took its toll on family: Wenger

The Gunners’ boss was under immense pressure over the last few years when Arsenal endured a trophyless run after their move to the Emirates. While they have since won back-to-back FA Cup titles in 2014 and 2015, the damage was already done in the preceding years.

Seven years ago, Wenger had mentioned in an interview that he would retire but eventually stayed on as manager.

“Ten years ago I said to my wife, ‘Five more years and that’s all’, and I am still here. It is difficult to find time to see them but there are jobs [which are worse]. You have guys who leave for work on Monday and come back on Friday.

“In my job I travel, but the problem is not so much the quantity of time you spend with your family, it is the quality.

“That is where this job is more damaging. You do not always give them the quality they deserve when you are at home because you are thinking of the next game,” he explained.

“My wife likes watching football, she watches all the games of Arsenal at home. She is not a fanatic but she likes watching sports. No, she does not have much choice.”