2. Arsene Wenger
Arsène Wenger changed the face of English football in 1996. A controversial view, but undoubtedly the statement contains some truth. The Frenchman was one of the first successful foreign managers in the country. He can be credited with the introduction of a unique footballing philosophy which persists to this day. Wenger's Arsenal sides are often criticized for their indiscipline; between September 1996 and October 2010, the team received 80 red cards. He has often tried to defend his players, involved in controversial incidents on the field, by saying that he has not seen the incident; this is an option Wenger says he resorts to when there is no "rational explanation" to defend him, and that he has the player's best interests in mind. Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have been rivals for many years now. A low point in this rivalry was the pizzagate incident in 2004. That year Arsenal had been enjoying a 49 game unbeaten victory, which was brought to an end in their game against Manchester United. Their 2-0 loss in the game was accompanied by a controversial penalty. This was made more controversial by two rumours. One alleged that an Arsenal member threw pizza at Alex Ferguson. Another, that Wenger called Manchester Uniteds Ruud Van Nistlerooy a cheat. The Arsenal manager was fined 15,000 pounds for his remark. Since this incident, both Wenger and Ferguson have indicated a willingness to restrain their rivalry.