London — Arsenal have little time to digest Arsene Wenger’s long-awaited decision to end his 22-year reign, as a Europa League semifinal with Atlético Madrid offers the outgoing manager a chance to salvage some of his lost credit with the club’s fans. Wenger admitted he had stepped aside to unite a fan base fed up with years of mediocre results, having been spoilt by success and silky football in the first decade of his reign. Fourteen years on from Arsenal’s last Premier League title, Wenger could defend his record by consistent qualification for the Champions League. However, a 19-year run in Europe’s premier club competition came to an end this season and Arsenal’s only chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League is by winning the Europa League. To do so, though, Wenger will need to achieve something he could not even manage in his peak years in charge — win a European trophy. His two final losses in the 2000 Uefa Cup to Galatasaray and against Barcelona in the 2006 C...
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