David Dein’s decision to hire the Frenchman ushered in an irreversible era of multiculturalism, giving birth to the Premier League we know today

As feedback goes, even a character as relentlessly optimistic as David Dein might have considered the reaction to his bold managerial appointment suboptimal. Thirty years ago, Arsenal were in a state of chaotic flux, having sacked Bruce Rioch, with the interims Stewart Houston and Pat Rice in charge. There had been talk of Johan Cruyff arriving and Dein wanted to fill the information vacuum. Summoning the team, he reassured them a new manager would soon be appointed and that he was a world-class addition.

“His name is Arsène Wenger,” Dein, the club’s vice-chair, beamed. A brief pause ensued before a player’s voice called out: “Who the fuck is he?” His exclamation echoed conventional wisdom. “Arsene Who?” famously read The London Evening Standard’s billboards prior to Wenger being confirmed as manager on 30 September 1996.

• Jordan FA president says Fifa threatened to block funds

• Secretary general calls selloff plan ‘sad and reproachable’

The Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, has accused Gianni Infantino’s administration of “blackmail”, claiming that Fifa threatened to withhold financial assistance from his federation if it refused to back the president’s bid for re-election.

In a major intervention Prince Ali, who ran for the Fifa presidency against Infantino in 2016 and finished third, listed a number of problems dogging the global governing body and said Jordan’s players have not yet been paid for appearing in the Arab Cup last year. Prince Ali is head of the West Asian Football Federation, which includes influential states such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that have thus far backed Infantino to stay on.

Many teams have fans abroad, but the bond between the north London club and ordinary Africans is on a different level. A continent expects

If Arsenal win the Champions League final later today, expect euphoria across Africa. Judging by the scenes after last week’s Premier League title win – their first in 22 years – the celebrations will be immense. Boisterous fans flooded city centres in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kampala and Lagos. In Nigeria’s Zamfara state, people celebrated in the streets despite rising insecurity as a result of Boko Haram’s terrorism.

For outsiders, the obvious question is: how did a club from north London become so deeply woven into African popular culture?

Sean Henry Jacobs is the founder of Africa Is a Country and edits the Eleven Named People newsletter

• Arne Slot: ‘Florian needs time to adapt to teammates’

• Head coach hopes to have Isak available for City clash

Arne Slot has rejected Arsène Wenger’s theory that playing Florian Wirtz as a No 10 has “destroyed Liverpool’s midfield” and insisted the £116m signing will prove a special talent wherever he operates for the Premier League champions.

Wirtz impressed when playing off the left in the Champions League defeat of Real Madrid on Tuesday, having previously struggled to make an impact in a central attacking role. The Germany international’s difficult start in the Premier League – where he is yet to score or assist before Sunday’s visit to Manchester City – prompted a withering assessment by Wenger before the visit of Real.