Declaring his intention to leave Arsenal after twenty-two years in charge at the end of this season, reports are now emerging that a "distraught" Arsene Wenger was encouraged to jump, lest he be pushed.
It has been suggested in The Times that Wenger is only leaving Arsenal "after being told that he would be sacked if he did not walk."
Having had another year remaining on a two-year contract signed last summer, Wenger "is understood to be dismayed at the way his time at the club has ended after giving 22 years service."
Although the most recent spell of his lengthy tenure has been plagued by the vocal complaints of an angry fan-base, Wenger has delivered a remarkable level of consistency to Arsenal.
Having arrived in North London in 1996, last season was the first that saw Wenger's side finish outside of the Premier League's top 4.
With Arsenal languishing in sixth, fourteen-points behind their rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fourth-place, the club are intriguingly closer to West Bromwich Albion in last-place, than the league winners in first, Manchester City.
Reports of Wenger's meeting with his players to discuss his departure suggest that a number were left in tears at the news.
Atletico Madrid now stand in Wenger's way at making his disappointing departure a little more palatable. A beaten UEFA Cup finalist in 2000, and Champions League finalist in 2006, European success has eluded Wenger.
With this year's Europa League final to be staged in Lyon, the prospect of finally righting that wrong in France would seem to make this a more fitting farewell.
