Wenger appointed to senior FIFA role; ends Bayern speculation

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been named FIFA's new chief of global football development, the governing body announced Wednesday in Zurich, Switzerland.

The appointment ends speculation that Wenger could fill the vacant managerial position at Bayern Munich.

Instead, the Frenchman will be "chiefly responsible for overseeing and driving the growth and development of the sport for both men and women around the world."

The 70-year-old will also serve as a member of the Football and Technical Advisory Panel in conjunction with the International Football Association Board (IFAB), and he'll act as chairman of the FIFA Technical Study Group.

"I very much look forward to taking on this extremely important challenge, not only because I have always been interested in analyzing football from a broader perspective but also because FIFA's mission as world football’s governing body is truly global," Wenger said.

The hiring halts Le Professeur's footballing hiatus after a 22-year tenure at Arsenal ended at the conclusion of the 2017-18 campaign. Wenger's name had also been mentioned among the candidates for the Bayern job following Niko Kovac's dismissal on Nov. 3.