Source: PA
Wenger shocked by Houllier return
Arsene Wenger has revealed his surprise at old friend Gerard Houllier's return to frontline management as the pair prepare to go head to head for the first time in more than six years.
Arsenal boss Wenger has known his fellow Frenchman since the 1970s but thought his days in the dugout were over after he went back to his former role of technical director of the French Football Federation.
Houllier had been out of management for more than three years when Aston Villa came calling in September, with the 63-year-old having decided he needed a break following a spell at Lyon.
He also suffered a heart scare while Liverpool boss back in 2001, which needed emergency surgery, and spent five months recovering while assistant Phil Thompson led the side.
Wenger, who takes Arsenal to Villa Park in the Barclays Premier League on saturday, said of Houllier's return: "I wasn't surprised that Aston Villa took him but I was surprised - because he was in a position as director of the French Football Federation - that he chose to leave his job and come again into a hotseat after what he has gone through."
