The Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA) has decided to trial a change to the existing offside rule ahead of the new season.

Football’s world governing body has collaborated with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) - the body that determines the laws of football - to experiment with a new offside rule proposed by legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The new offside rule nicknamed “the Wenger Law�?will be tested first in Sweden with the men’s under-21 and women’s under-19 leagues in the country. The Wenger Law will also be later trialled in the Netherlands and Italy.

What is the Wenger Law?

The Wenger Law refers to a new offside rule proposed by Premier League legend Arsene Wenger. 

As per the Wenger Law, a player will be offside if the whole body of the opposing attacker completely overtakes the last defender at the time of the execution of a pass forward.

However, if the attacker is on the same line as the defender, the player will not be offside.

Currently, a player is deemed offside if any part of their body is ahead of the defender at the time of receiving the pass. With the advent of VAR, players have been ruled offside more frequently with absurd margins.

With the help of the new proposed offside rule, FIFA aims to eliminate millimetric offsides. The shoulder/upper arm of the opposing attacker on the offside line has previously caused massive confusion during offside calls.

The Wenger Law is expected to favour attackers over defenders and could lead to an increase in the number of goals scored per match.

Wenger earlier presented the new offside rule to the IFAB in 2021, before it was tested in the lower divisions of the Chinese football leagues.

In 2021, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “We have been seeing that maybe we can think about a new law which allows a bit more attack in football.

“Arsene Wenger presented to us as well what this could look like and obviously, in summary, it is if the attacking player is ahead of the last defender, or second-last player, but still with one part of the body that can score inline with the defender.

“So it is giving the attacking player a bit more room and so favouring attacking football.

Obviously such a change would need to be tested. We have to see what kind of impact this will have on the game - if positive, if negative.

“If it is positive, we might go ahead. If it is negative, we step back. But we are always here, like we did for VAR, to be open to new ideas and if we can make football even more attacking, even more passionate, then we certainly look into that.�?/span>

Wenger’s new proposed change to the offside law is certain to have its detractors from sporting traditionalists like any new innovations.

However, if decisions are simplified with the new proposed law and players begin to start to accept its rulings without much fuss then we may well see this law as the future of football in a few years time. 

Photo credit: Alamy

Arsenal and arch-rivals Manchester United lock horns in this weekend's standout Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

The classic rivalry has pushed both the clubs to new heights, producing world-class football, high drama levels, and massive controversies.

Manchester United and Arsenal are two of the biggest household names in English football, however, their rivalry became a defining fixture only in the late 1990s and early 2000s as they battled for the bragging rights in the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

We revisit some of the most memorable encounters between Manchester United and Arsenal in their great sporting history:

August 2011: Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal

The Manchester United-Arsenal rivalry in the Premier League has been a delight to watch. However, the meeting in the 2011-12 Premier League season serves as a reminder of why English football rivalries remain as one to keep a tab on in the sporting world.

On the anniversary of our 8-2 win v Arsenal, here's how we rounded off the goals in style

, , # #MUFC #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/r0yMJLbAYN

�?Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 28, 2020

Wayne Rooney’s stunning hat-trick, a brace from Ashley Young, and goals from Danny Welbeck, Nani, and Park Ji-sung subjected Arsenal to their heaviest league defeat in 84 years, in terms of margin. The last time the Gunners fell to a disheartening loss was a 0�? defeat to West Ham United in a Football League First Division match back in 1927.

The fixture not only remains as Arsene Wenger’s darkest day as Arsenal manager but also was one of the last dominant outings for a Manchester United team in the final years of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

February 2005: Arsenal 2-4 Manchester United

Before the kick-off, a clash of words between United’s Roy Keane and Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira raised tensions for both sides before referee Graham Poll had to break the pair up in the Highbury tunnel.

On this day 13 years ago Roy Keane beat Patrick Viera before he even stepped into the pitch
pic.twitter.com/WuddzgLBx0

�?Alex Mann (@alexmann54) February 1, 2018

The flare-up is regarded as one of the unique face-offs between Premier League players, and post that incident, Viera drew the first blood in the contest.

Ryan Giggs grabbed a deflected goal to briefly level the game before Dennis Bergkamp’s 36th-minute strike saw Arsenal go into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s twin strikes in four minutes put the Red Devils into the front seat, before John O'Shea’s career-best goal, where he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, sealed a 4-2 win for the Red Devils.

Manchester United went in to complete a season double over Arsenal, and finished second on the league table.

March 1998: Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal came to Old Trafford knowing they had never beaten or scored against Manchester United at the Theatre of Dreams, but the 1-0 victory certainly marked a significant checkpoint in the Gunners�?campaign in the 1997/98 season.

Morning all. On this day in 1998 @Arsenal won their first @premierleague title by beating Everton pic.twitter.com/yL12iW4WqV

�?Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 3, 2015

A late goal from Marc Overmars proved to be the turning point in the title race as United’s nine-point lead, having played three games more, was cut down to six, and that effectively meant the Gunners were still in the running to win the title.

On this day in 1998, @Arsenal beat Newcastle in the #FACupFinal to clinch the double. Who remembers that game? pic.twitter.com/o9SCWig1kr

�?Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 16, 2014

The Gunners went on to win 10 games in a row, and leapfrogged United to lift the Premiership trophy. They also won the FA Cup to register a trophy double for the third time in their history, and the first for Arsene Wenger.

Interestingly, the Frenchman became the first foreign manager to win the double in English football.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / Andrew Yates

Mesut Ozil's sense of belonging at Arsenal has gone from being an erstwhile midfield genius to now an exiled figure seeking a new scenery. The 2014 World Cup winner is currently in talks with Fenerbahce and DC United to end his eight-year stay in England.

Ozil is inarguably one of his generation’s most extraordinary talents, showcasing glimpses of a prodigious left-footed playmaker at Bundesliga clubs Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen in his early beginnings.

Mesut Ozil’s second season at Bremen served as the first checkpoint of greatness in the Gelsenkirchen-born playmaker’s career. He chalked up 14 assists, led Die Werderaner to the 2009 UEFA Cup and DFB Pokal finals while scoring the latter fixture’s winning goal.

The more significant call in Ozil's early career came in 2010 when Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid brought him on board in a £16.6m deal and a six-year contract. Upon noticing his performances in Germany's run to the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Portuguese manager ironed out that the then-21-year-old was someone who 'fit his system perfectly.'

The 'Real' breakthrough

Mesut Ozil's three-season spell at Real Madrid was a stepping stone to success, as he registered a splendid 54 assists in 105 career appearances for Los Blancos.

Ozil finished in the top two in La Liga for assists in each of his three Real Madrid seasons, with 19 assists in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns before bagging 16 in the 2012-13 season.

However, Carlo Ancelotti's arrival in the hot seat spelled an end to his Galactico career, and Ozil, with three titles in his time in Madrid, sent shockwaves to the sporting world with a record £42.4m move to Arsenal on deadline day of the 2013 transfer window.

Ozil's bumpy ride with Arsenal and Germany

Mesut Ozil's arrival at Arsenal drove football fans' excitement to the brim in the Premier League and set an illusionary benchmark for the German playmaker to skyrocket to fame.

The Gunners finished fourth in Ozil's debut campaign, with the German tallying five goals and 10 assists. The year 2014 is unique from his international career point of view. His two assists propelled Germany to a landmark 7-1 win over Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals and then lifting football's holy grail at the Maracana.

However, the former Real Madrid playmaker's impact was relatively flat in the 2014-15 season as he couldn't transfigure his form from the World Cup-winning campaign.

100 �?Since his move to Real Madrid for the beginning of the 2010-11 season, @MesutOzil1088 is one of only five players within Europe’s top five leagues to record at least 100 league assists (47 for Real Madrid, 54 for @Arsenal). Longing. pic.twitter.com/kSdmCUPXgD

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 15, 2020

The 2015-16 campaign is, by far, Mesut Ozil’s best-ever in the Premier League. The playmaker registered 19 assists, including a record streak of assists in seven consecutive matches. Ozil finished with the most assists in the 2015-16 season and became the first footballer to register most assists in a single campaign in England, Spain (2011-12), and Germany (2009-10).

Since notching ten league assists in the 2016-17 Premier League campaign, Ozil’s output levels saw a drop, and thus, the tale of his eventual downfall from grace began.

10 - Mesut Ozil is the first player to assist 10+ goals in his first 11 appearances of a PL season. Form. @MesutOzilStats

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 8, 2015

2018 - Where all troubles began 

Mesut Ozil hit a new low in 2018, as Arsene Wenger’s departure significantly impacted his performance under new head coach Unai Emery. The club awarded him a three-year contract to tie him down until the summer of 2021, and this news didn’t sit well with the club faithful mainly down to the fact that his wages rose significantly to £350,000. The German, till date, remains the highest earner at Arsenal despite not being registered in the club’s Premier League squad for the 2020-21 season.

Ozil’s last international assignment was the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he received racist jibes not only for the controversial meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but also for his performances, which led to Germany’s pre-mature exit.

Shortly after, the Arsenal playmaker announced his retirement from the international circuit and accused then DFB President Reinhard Grindel of racism, stating that, “In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.�?/span>

What led to Mesut Ozil’s downfall?

Mesut Ozil, now in his thirties, is a far cry from the demeanour he portrayed between 2009 and 2017. A change in management and the rise of new talents have left little room for the 32-year-old to feature in the playing XI.

The biggest shocker came when Arsenal decided to drop Ozil from their Premier League squad, and the former Germany superstar took to social media to express his disappointment.

〽️⚽️ #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa pic.twitter.com/hF7abGklOT

�?Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 21, 2020

Coming to Arsenal after being an understudy to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s philosophy is a drastic contrast from that of Wenger. And his demand for relentless pressing in the opponents�?half, which has been a quintessential aspect of modern football, is understandable.

Ozil is no more an elite footballer like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who would continue to get selected based solely on their uniqueness and not work-rate. Arsenal’s necessity to get results without much financial backing is also a big reason for Arsenal’s style of football.

Arsenal no longer have the likes of Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky. Their understanding of spaces, off the ball work-rate, and silky footwork in the midfield allowed Ozil to wander in the final third with the sole job of creating chances.

Arteta’s Arsenal put equal stress on every player back-tracking once they lose the ball - something an ageing Ozil cannot execute day in and day out. Then there are non-footballing reasons as well.

Amid reports that it was due to pay cut issues that Mesut Ozil was dropped from Arsenal’s Premier League roster in August, current head coach Mikel Arteta asserted that Ozil’s omission is solely down to ‘footballing reasons.�?/span>

While Ozil is approaching the end of his journey in English football, one can merely fathom how a player, who has tallied 132 assists in 390 league games, has fallen from grace at a speed that is highly uncounted. The German has not stepped onto the football pitch in 308 days and is one of the last few natural No.10s to still be active in the game.

Most league assists in Europe's top five divisions since 2006-07:

�?Lionel Messi
�?Cesc Fàbregas
�?Mesut Özil

Pure silk. pic.twitter.com/B6SAqPflZl

�?Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 15, 2020

Premier League and Arsenal will both lose a once-in-a-lifetime genius when Ozil leaves North London, for as Arsene Wenger had once rightly said, �?.. If you love to watch football, you love to watch Ozil.�?/span>

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger returned to football on Wednesday after being named FIFA's chief of global football development, ending any chance of a move to managerless Bayern Munich.

FIFA said the former Arsenal and Monaco coach would be responsible for the growth of the game "for both men and women around the world", and would also be the "leading authority on technical matters", including potential changes to the sport's laws.

It added that Wenger, 70, would also be tasked with coach education and aiding a programme designed to help former players enter management.

"I very much look forward to taking on this extremely important challenge," Wenger said in a statement.

"Not only because I have always been interested in analysing football from a broader perspective but also because FIFA's mission as world football's governing body is truly global."

Rumours of Wenger making a shock return to coaching had intensified over the weekend after Wenger denied claims by Bayern Munich that they had turned down his offer to take over at the German champions after the sacking of Niko Kovac.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge then said there had been a "misunderstanding" and that the Bundesliga giants would speak to Wenger "in the near future".

However, it is the new FIFA role that brings the Frenchman back to the game for the first time since 2018, when he left Arsenal after 22 years in charge.

Wenger made the Gunners one of the strongest sides in Europe, winning three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups and taking his team to the 2006 Champions League final.

His also won the French league in 1987 with Monaco, adding the French Cup four years later before departing for Japan in 1995.

"I am delighted to welcome him to the team. Since I arrived at FIFA, we have placed football at the centre of our mission, striving to learn from those who know the sport inside out," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

"Arsene is someone who, with his strategic vision, competence and hard work, has dedicated his life to football."

Bringing in famous faces has been a key part of Infantino's tenure at the head of FIFA. Wenger arrives following the departures of technical chief Marco van Basten last year and former deputy secretary general Zvonimir Boban, who became AC Milan's "chief football officer" in June.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Joel Saget

Arsene Wenger has contradicted a claim by Bayern Munich that they turned him down for the vacant head coach's job and accused the defending German champions of a lack of discretion.

Bayern need a new coach after Niko Kovac was sacked last Sunday with former Germany assistant Hansi Flick appointed interim boss for Wednesday's win over Olympiakos and Saturday's home league game against Dortmund.

On Thursday, Bayern put out a statement claiming Wenger had called club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to express interest in replacing Kovac, but said the former Arsenal boss had been turned down.

However, Wenger, 70, rejected the version of events and criticised Bayern for leaking "rumours from everywhere".

"My name came out of nowhere," said Wenger in an interview with beIN Sports on Friday.

"On Wednesday, Rummenigge called me, I called back out of courtesy.

"We talked for four or five minutes, maximum, and he reported that they signed Flick (as interim coach) for the next two games. 

"He asked me if I would be interested, because they are looking for a coach."

Wenger says he told Rummenigge that he would think about it and "we decided together" to talk again "next week because I am in Doha until Sunday night. This is the true story."

After a decade as Bayern's president, Uli Hoeness will step down on Friday and Wenger said Bayern are at a "turning point" with Rummenigge also set to quit as chairman within the coming year.

Between them, Hoeness and Rummenigge have helped grow Bayern into one of the most successful clubs in Europe.

"It seems that the future is uncertain" at Bayern, said Wenger who added that the German club had always been "very discreet and direct" in the past, "but today (they are) very exposed with rumours coming from everywhere".

Wenger wished Bayern "good luck" in finding a replacement for Kovac. 

Other candidates for the vacancy, Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel and Ajax's Erik ten Hag, already made it clear last week that they will not join Bayern before at least the end of the season.  

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Christof Stache

Bayern Munich have turned down an approach from Arsene Wenger to take over the vacant manager's position following the sacking of Niko Kovac, the German champions said on Thursday.

"Arsene Wenger called (Bayern chairman) Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Wednesday afternoon to make him aware of his interest in the job," a Bayern spokesperson told AFP subsidiary SID.

"Bayern appreciates Wenger's work at Arsenal, but he is not being considered as coach."

Kovac was dismissed at the weekend following a poor run of form that culminated in a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern's worst Bundesliga defeat in a decade and one which left them fourth in the table.

Read | Bayern Munich sack coach Niko Kovac

Kovac's assistant Hansi Flick has taken over as interim coach as Bayern search for a more permanent replacement, with club president Uli Hoeness saying on Tuesday they expected to name Kovac's successor by November 23.

However, they have been publicly rebuffed by both Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel and Ajax's Erik ten Hag, who said on Monday he would be staying with the Dutch champions until at least the end of the season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christof Stache

Arsene Wenger has not ruled himself out of the running for the vacant head coach role at Bayern Munich while Ralf Rangnick, another potential candidate, is reportedly not interested.

Wenger, 70, gave an evasive answer when broadcaster beIn Sports directly asked him about working at Bayern, who need a new head coach after Niko Kovac was dismissed on Sunday in the wake of Munich's 5-1 drubbing at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Wenger, who speaks fluent German, coached Arsenal from October 1996 until May 2018 and admits he misses some aspects of coaching.

While Wenger has enjoyed his year away from football, the satisfaction of winning matches and preparing players are "something you miss, of course," said the Frenchman.

Meanwhile, Ralf Rangnick, currently head of sport and development at Red Bull and the previous sports director at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, is reportedly the latest big name to turn Bayern down.

"Ralf is not available. We don't believe that what Ralf Rangnick is all about is currently being sought by Bayern," Rangnick's manager Marc Kosicke told German daily Bild.

"That why it doesn't make sense to hold concrete talks."

Rangnick joins Ajax coach Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel, who have both stated that they will not leave their current jobs this season.

On Tuesday, club president Uli Hoeness said he expected to be able to name a new head coach by Bayern's next away game at Fortuna Duesseldorf on November 23.

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and ex-Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri have so far also been linked to the job by the German media.

Former Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick has taken over as Bayern's interim coach for Wednesday's Champions League clash at home to Olympiakos and Saturday's crunch league clash at home to second-placed Dortmund, with Bayern currently fourth in the table.

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Valery Hache

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to return to football management and resume battle with that stubborn coat zipper, claiming he misses "wet Wednesdays at Stoke".

The Frenchman, who turned 70 earlier this week, ended his 22-year reign at Arsenal at the end of last season after capturing three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups with Gunners.

But during a visit to Tokyo, Wenger told AFP that absence had not diminished his passion for the game and revealed he has had "offers from all over the world" during his hiatus.

"I refused until now to come back because we had some family sickness problems," he said in an interview.

"The offers always came in at a moment when I couldn't really do it or didn't want to do it."

Wenger, who coached J-League club Nagoya Grampus before joining Arsenal in 1996, has previously been linked to the Japan national team job.

Asked if he might be tempted in the future, Wenger said: "I can envisage everything -- I loved being in Japan. I don't rule anything out."

Wenger is in Tokyo in an advisory role on plans for a new stadium in the capital and is looking to return to the dugout early next year, though insists he is undecided about his next destination.

He admits, however, that he misses management -- even those freezing, rainy nights in such unglamorous climes as Stoke or Bolton, where his artisans at times came unstuck against northern grit.

"I liked it personally," he smiled. "Because I come from an area (northeast France) where we had wet Wednesdays as well -- yes, I miss that!

"You miss contact with people, being in the same boat -- sharing emotions, sharing winning and losing," added Wenger.

"I'm a guy who can take the pressure quite well, because I did that my whole life, so I miss that."

 'Different landscape'

One position he did appear cool on, however, was the French national side, noting the achievement of Didier Deschamps in winning last year's World Cup in Russia.

"I turned that down a few times," said Wenger, who was recently linked with Lyon. 

"I prefer club football. For me it's a bit part-time the national team -- it's 10 games per year. I'm used to 60, so I was never really a big fan of it."

Wenger denied that he has spent his time moping around the house annoying family members.

"No, I'm quite surprised," he said. "I've enjoyed a little bit more time, more freedom -- it was the first time in 35 years that I woke up in morning and didn't have to go somewhere."

Wenger, meanwhile, blamed the intense media scrutiny of modern-day football and trigger-happy owners for making the job increasingly precarious.

"There's some things I don't miss," he shrugged. "The scrutiny and the definite conclusions after every game are much worse than before," added the Frenchman.

"The landscape of football has changed in the last 20 years, the owners have changed -- it's more investment, more calculation. At the end of the day you cannot change your manager every week."

Wenger, who tipped Premier League leaders Liverpool to break their 30-year title wait this season, also explained one of football's great mysteries -- why he could never do his jacket zip up.

"My coat was very long and usually I put it on when I was already freezing," he said with a laugh.

"Sometimes my hands were very cold. Also because you don't focus on your zip, you focus on the game -- but maybe I'm a bit clumsy as well."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Joel Saget

Arsene Wenger’s team back in 2004 made history when they won the Premier League without losing a single fixture. And the streak continued into the 2004/05 season, lasting for a record 49 games and was only halted by a controversial encounter against Manchester United.

Their sheer dominance on the pitch and resounding victories in a single Premier League campaign earned them the title of the ‘Invincibles�? The Gunners registered 26 wins and 12 draws in the 2003/04 campaign but what set them apart was the blistering form of their attack �?Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Henry and Bergkamp were at the peak of their powers at the time while winger Robert Pires pitched in with crucial goals throughout their streak. Henry netted a total of 39 goals in 48 appearances during their unbeaten run and has since been voted as the greatest player in Arsenal’s history.

The Frenchman’s partnership with Bergkamp who was nearing the end of his career was indeed a perfect lesson in speed and tricking the opposition’s centre-backs to near perfection.  

In midfield, Patrick Viera held fort through his extraordinary vision and became the heart of Arsenal’s starting lineup. The German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg’s invaluable contributions only strengthened the Gunners�?resolved during their pursuit of the league title while Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure held the fort to deal with any attacking threat with ease.

This was evident as they failed to score on only four occasions �?0-0 draws with Birmingham City, Newcastle United, Fulham and Manchester United respectively and conceded only 35 goals - during their 49-game unbeaten trot.

Due to Arsenal’s exceptional achievements in 2003-04, the British press attributed the nickname “The Invincibles�?to the team and the maestro orchestrating the entire concert was Wenger. The Gunners�?manager had a knack of finding obscure talents and turning them into world-class footballers.

As a token of gratitude for Wenger’s exemplary 2003-04 unbeaten Premier League season, the league commissioned a unique gold trophy to commemorate this remarkable achievement.

The Gunners racked up a total of 121 points from their 49-game unbeaten streak, a record that persists till date in the Premier League era. Manchester City came close in the 2017/18 season but a loss to Liverpool ended their unbeaten run in the league.

There might be innumerable debates about the golden period of Arsenal’s history, but the 2003/04 season was truly majestic for the Gunners as they etched their names in eternity with their impeccable display 15 years ago.  

Feature image courtesy: AFP/Odd Andersen