Coaches Circle
The longest-serving manager in Premier League history, Wenger spent more than two decades at Arsenal and guided them to three league titles, seven FA Cups and an historic unbeaten league campaign in 2004.
Before his success in England, the Frenchman also enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in Asia with Japan’s Nagoya Grampus Eight, winning the Emperor’s Cup and the Japanese Super Cup in 1995 and 1996 respectively.
In Edition 16 of Coaches Circle, the 76-year-old reflects on the recently concluded FIFA World Cup 2026, discussing the success of the expanded 48-team format, the impact of new rule innovations, the physical and tactical evolution of the modern game, and the qualities required to compete at the highest level.
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Wenger also shares his thoughts about Asia’s performances on the global stage and outlines what Asian teams need to do to challenge for a FIFA World Cup title in the future. Drawing on his extensive experience, the former midfielder emphasises the importance of elite youth development, coach education and technical excellence, while expressing optimism about the future of football across the Continent.
In addition to the engrossing conversation with Wenger, the publication features reflections on the performances of Asia’s nine representatives at the global showpiece, alongside technical insights from some of the leading minds in world football, including Pep Guardiola, Ange Postecoglou, Carlo Ancelotti and Hajime Moriyasu, whose perspectives provide further context on the evolving demands of elite football.
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Beyond the FIFA World Cup, Coaches Circle 16 also reviews several virtual programmes conducted by the AFC’s technical experts to enhance elite youth development, women’s football, futsal and coach education across the AFC’s Member Associations.
The publication further reviews a busy six-month period that featured numerous key competitions, including the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™, where Japan lifted the coveted trophy for a record-extending third title.
In another insightful section, the report delves into key technical learnings from the AFC’s various competitions, such as the relatively low number of set-piece goals across women’s football from youth to senior levels, as well as the increasingly evolving roles of inverted wingers, full-backs and wing-backs.
Finally, the publication celebrates the coaches who guided their teams to success across the AFC’s major competitions in 2026 and examines emerging technical trends identified through the Confederation’s latest competition reports, offering valuable insights for coaches, technical staff, as well as the millions of passionate fans of Asian football.
Read the latest edition of Coaches Circle here.
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