Arsene Wenger: I sometimes wonder what Alex Ferguson does all day... he has his horses, I love horses too but not racing
- Arsenal face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday
- Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger sometimes wonders what he does all day
- Ferguson has a love of horse racing to keep him occupied
- Wenger reveals he loves horses too as he comes from a farming village
Arsene Wenger cannot imagine life after football and admits that he struggles to comprehend how his former great rival, Sir Alex Ferguson, fills him time since quitting the job in 2013.
'I sometimes wonder what is he doing all day,' said Wenger ahead of Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday. 'But he looks very happy in his retirement.
'He is lucky because he is interested in horses as well. When he gets up in the morning, he can go to horses practise or training, which is early in the morning so that is great.
Arsene Wenger says he sometimes wonder what Alex Ferguson does all day in his retirement
Ferguson (right and Wenger enjoyed a great rivalry for many years in the Premier League
Ferguson tries to keep dry during a visit to Chester Race Course earlier this month
But Wenger, 65, who has two years left on his contract at Arsenal, says he has no such hobby on which to fall back, though he admits that coming from a village in Alsace-Lorraine that he shares a love of horses, though not racing.
'My hobby? Watching football. I love horses as well but I don’t go to races. I like horses in general. I am a farmer. I used to ride, when I was a kid of course. Not now - my back could not take any riding.'
Wenger once said the principal difference in taking on United without Sir Alex in charge would be the performance of the referees at Old Trafford but he is not yet willing to say whether the reemoval of the former United manager's forceful personality has made it easier for refs.
'You speak about the Old Trafford Syndrome,’ said Wenger. ‘It’s too short to say if it has changed. We need to see over a longer period.
The former Manchester United boss has always been passionate about his horse racing
Wenger reveals he too loves horses - but not racing - having grown up in a farming village in France
But if you ask me if it has changed, your statement is that it existed before. And we agree on that. I don’t know how many penalties we have been awarded there but I know we’ve got a few against us there.
But he does concede that Old Trafford is a less-intimidating place to go now that Sir Alex is no longer there.
'Old Trafford was where he had the weight. You get his weight after a while and he was successful. So that was a heavy weight. But it is always linked with recent results of a team and a record of a team. But maybe the Premier League has changed as well. The teams go away from home and are less frightened to play.'
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