Wenger looks to join oldest UEFA competition-winning coaches

Arsène Wenger, who will leave Arsenal at the end of the season, will be 68 years and 206 days old on the day of this season's UEFA Europa League final, Wednesday 16 May.

That means that should his Arsenal team make it that far and go on to win, Wenger would become – at least temporarily – the second-oldest coach ever to have lifted a UEFA club trophy. The final would be his last fixture in charge.

Oldest UEFA club competition winning coaches

71y 231d: Raymond Goethals (Marseille, 1993 UEFA Champions League)
68y 16d: Jupp Heynckes (Bayern München, 2013 UEFA Champions League)
66y 142d: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, 2008 UEFA Champions League)
64y 85d: Sir Bobby Robson (Barcelona, 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup)
64y 79d: Joe Fagan (Liverpool, 1984 European Champion Clubs' Cup)

Wenger would replace Heynckes in second spot should Arsenal prevail in Lyon next month, but the Bayern coach could go top of the pile himself if the Bundesliga team win this season's UEFA Champions League. Heynckes will have turned 73 by the time of the 26 May showpiece. Wenger, though, would still be sure to be the oldest coach ever to have won the UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League.

Oldest UEFA Cup winning coach

63 years 295 days: Mircea Lucescu (Shakhtar Donetsk, 2009)

Oldest UEFA Europa League winning coach

54 years 118 days: José Mourinho (Manchester United, 2017)

While we are at it, we decided to look at the other end of the scale – the youngest coaches ever to have enjoyed success in Europe.

Youngest major UEFA club competition final winning coaches

33y 213d: André Villas-Boas (Porto, 2011 UEFA Europa League)
33y 308d: Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea, 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup)
34y 102d*: Sven-Göran Eriksson (IFK Göteborg, 1982 UEFA Cup)
34y 163d: Víctor Fernández (Real Zaragoza, 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup)
36y 101d: Joaquim Rifé (Barcelona, 1979 European Cup Winners' Cup)

Youngest UEFA Champions League winning coach

Guardiola celebrates his 2009 triumph©Getty Images

38y 129d: Josep Guardiola (Barcelona, 2009)

Youngest European Champion Clubs' Cup winning coach

36 yrs 184 days: José Villalonga (Real Madrid, 1956)

Youngest major UEFA club competition final losing coaches

31y 229d: Bob Houghton (Malmö, 1979 European Champion Clubs' Cup)
32y 151d: Ricardo Gomes (Paris Saint-Germain, 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup)
34y 245d: Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund, 2002 UEFA Cup)
35y 12d*: Jupp Heynckes (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1980 UEFA Cup)
35y 102d*: Sven-Göran Eriksson (Benfica, 1983 UEFA Cup)

And, lastly, how about on the international stage?

Youngest UEFA European Championship winning coach

44 years 192 days: José Villalonga (Spain, 1964)

Oldest UEFA European Championship winning coach

69 years 334 days: Luis Aragonés (Spain, 2008)

Major UEFA club competition is defined as European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League or UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

*calculated from second leg