Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Arsene Wenger suggests Arsenal future to be announced in midweek

Arsene Wenger says his future as Arsenal manager will become clearer following a board meeting on Tuesday.

Wenger won the FA Cup for a record seventh time as Arsenal boss after spending most of the season with pressure to step down after 21 seasons in charge.

His contract ends this summer, but he refused to confirm if he will remain in charge next season.

Asked if he was in a position to clarify his future after the match, Wenger told the BBC: "I've always been very clear on that. We have a board meeting on Tuesday, and on Wednesday or Thursday it will all be very clear."

It was Arsenal's third FA Cup four years and comes at the end of a disappointing season that saw the Gunners finish outside the Premier League's top four for the first time in 20 years.

"We had an outstanding performance from the first minute onwards," he said. "This team has suffered. They've united and responded. I said last week this team could win the championship with one or two good buys. They showed strength, unity and we played spectacular football here again today.

"I'm proud to have won seven of these cups. I'm proud having done this -- winning the championship without losing and winning seven FA Cups."

Asked about Wenger's future, Arsenal's Danny Welbeck said: "The manager is his own man and he makes his own decision and the board will make the right decision so I can't comment on that."

Welbeck also called the win "a great team performance" after Aaron Ramsey found the winning goal three minutes after Diego Costa had equalised for 10-man Chelsea.

"We stuck in there when it looks like things were against us," he said. "You always worry when you are a goal down and it was a game full of surprises."

Ramsey told the BBC he hoped Wenger would renew his contract at Arsenal.

"Of course I want him to stay at club," he said. "He deserves this. We changed the formation and had a lot of success. Fair play to him, he changed the system. Hopefully, he'll be there next season."

On Arsenal's triumph, Ramsey added: "I can't describe this. It's been an up and down season. We've finished with the FA Cup so it has to be successful.

"I've got the winner again. I love this competition. The boys deserve this. I'm happy for the manager. To get another FA Cup -- delighted."

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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