Arsène Wenger OBE (French pronunciation: [aʁsɛn vɛŋɡɛʁ]; born 22 October 1949) is a French football manager and former player. He has been the manager of Arsenal since October 1996, where he has since become the club's longest-serving manager and most successful in terms of major titles won. In April 2018, he announced his intention to step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the 2017–18 season, after almost 22 years in the role. Football pundits give Wenger credit for his contribution to the revolutionizing of football in England in the late 1990s through the introduction of changes in the training and diet of players. Wenger was born in Strasbourg and raised in Duttlenheim. He was introduced to football by his father, the manager of the local village team. After a modest playing career, in which he made appearances for several amateur clubs, Wenger obtained a manager's diploma in 1981. Following an unsuccessful period at Nancy which culminated in his dismissal in 1987, Wenger joined AS Monaco; the club won the league championship in 1988. In 1991, Wenger guided Monaco to victory in the Coupe de France, but their failure to regain the league title in later seasons led to his departure from the club by mutual consent in 1994. He briefly coached Japanese J.League side Nagoya Grampus Eight, which won the Emperor's Cup and Japanese Super Cup during his stint.