Former Gunner receives UEFA A Licence in coaching

Former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has earned his UEFA A Licence, allowing him to move into coaching after his playing career ends.

Mohamed Elneny has confirmed that he’s now completed UEFA’s coaching course and earned his A Licence, making him eligible to enter the world of management in senior football.

“So proud to announce that I have successfully earned my UEFA A License,” Elneny wrote on Twitter.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my coaching skills and knowledge and I’m very excited for the journey ahead as I continue to grow and make a positive impact in the world of football!”

The UEFA A Licence is the second-highest coaching licence that UEFA provides, allowing the holder to be the head coach of a youth team up to the age of 18, a reserve team for a top-flight club, or a men’s professional second-tier club.

That means Elneny is now eligible to take over the Arsenal u21s (for example), or a Championship team, should he wish to return to England.

If Elneny wanted to manage the first team at a Premier League club like Arsenal, he’d need to get his UEFA Pro Licence first.

A caretaker manager doesn’t need the Pro qualification, but they can only take charge for a maximum of 12 weeks. After that, they have to have their Pro Licence.

For the time being, Elneny is still kicking on with his playing career. The 32-year-old has made eight appearances for Al-Jazira Club in 2024/25, playing 90 minutes on every occasion.

That’s a big step up from his final days at Arsenal, with his 720 minutes in the UAE already surpassing his final two campaigns with the Gunners combined (450 minutes).

Things are going well for the former Gunner on and off the field, and long may that continue.