Why did Arsenal manager resign on International Marijuana Day?

22 years after he took the helm, leaving is no small feat. Arsene Wenger had become so closely associated with Arsenal Football Club that for a short while, many of us younger football fans thought the man owned the club.

I mean, it may not make sense now, but try explaining to a 7-year old without Google that a man named Arsene is not the owner of the club called Arsenal which he so happens to manage.

The fact is that Arsene Wenger made a very important decision. The question though, is why did he choose to make this announcement on April the 20th, on International Marijuana Day?

For years,4/20 or April the 20th has been celebrated by lovers of cannabis culture as the world's unofficial marijuana day.

Young people celebrate by holding parties, pro-marijuana rallies and using the drug in groups.

I have some theories as to why Arsenal's manager decided to celebrate this day with his fans.

The first is the most obvious.

4/20 for the clarity

Imagine this; so Arsene Wenger wakes up in the morning and looks at his Audemars Piguet watch. It's morning.

"C'est magnifique", he says to himself as he tries to begin the daily routine. As he scrolls through his mobile phone, a Google notification pops up.

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It is a reminder that Chelsea won against Burnley. Besides it is the English Premier League table with Arsenal enjoying their birthright in the 6th position they've held on to like a lover.

Arsene Wenger is suddenly reminded that he is looking forward to another season without Champions League football. Frustrated, he gets in his Peugeot and drives to North London and buys some herb on the street.

"Oi, are you not Arsene Wenger?"

"I have no idea what you speak of, just don't tell anybody that we're selling Welbeck after the World Cup", he says as he zooms off.

At home, Wenger has a hit of the marijuana with his typical sophistication. Then, suddenly, in a flash of clarity, he sees everything people have been saying since. He sees Arsenal's decline for what it is, from The Invincibles to low-cost tiki-taka and frauds like Marouane Chamakh.

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Sad, disappointed in himself and very high, he locks himself in the bathroom and sends a text to the Arsenal board; "I have done you wrong. I cannot continue like this. I will leave at the end of the season" #WengerOut"

Then, slightly relieved, he turns his phone and falls asleep.

Blame Mourinho for the good news

The other possibility is that Wenger had been thinking about leaving for a while. Pressure from the fans was there, but the board also wanted to make more money.

Thing is, Wenger woke up this morning and the first text message he got was from his arch-nemesis, Jose Mourinho

"Happy 4/20, it said. "I hope marijuana can help you and your boys get higher on the table. With Love. Jose."

Annoyed, he does his Google and finds out what 4/20 is about.

Then the idea hits him, what better way to leave his fans in high spirits than to leave them while high.

So he sends the e-mail, "Dear Arsenal Board, Goodbye."

ALSO READ: How did International Marijuana Day start?

So, let's be honest. It's very unlikely that marijuana had anything to do with Arsene Wenger's resignation. Friday's announcement is simply the result of long weeks of planning and deliberation.

One does not stay somewhere for 22 years and just decide to leave. Ask African dictators if you're in doubt.

Still, it's worth celebrating that two important moments in pop culture have happened side-by-side on the same day.

Arsenal fans are grateful, as the reactions on social media imply. Younger fans have whipped out the photo editing skills and put Arsene Wenger on pedestals he would be proud of.

Arsenal's manager may not have a blunt in his hand but I'd expect that he feels on top of the world right now.