Coach Arteta: 'I'm not the type to like luxury'
When he took over at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta quickly set out three "non-negotiable" things at the Emirates Stadium, which he wanted players and all staff to have if they wanted to pursue their long-term goals. They are: respect, attachment and passion. "If we have those things, I'm sure we can do great things together," he said.
Arteta himself is a man of principles and habits, even in dress. Considered one of the best dressed coaches in the profession, Arteta confessed: "If the team is winning, I don't want to change clothes. I will wear the same pants, shirt and shoes as the previous victory. If the team loses the game, I will change to another outfit."
For Arteta, maintaining certain habits and activities can bring stability in a changing world. He usually wakes up at 4:30 a.m. and has breakfast with his wife Lorena and three sons Gabriel, Daniel and Oliver. Altta will go to Hertfordshire training ground at Arsenal in person, and then walk or sit down in his private office to enjoy the tranquility. "I like the feeling of calm and have space and time to think about what will happen that day or week," he explained. In addition, for many years, Altta meditated at least three times a week with his wife and even children. Therefore, he thought he was "very good at being out of touch with the surrounding environment".
He said: "I still have a few fragments of memories, especially when I was in the hospital, but for me it was not a big deal, it was my parents who felt it. There was no choice. nothing but surgery, so they were forced to take the risk. But fortunately I was operated by skilled doctors. I talked to my parents a lot about this disease, especially since having children, because every time my children have problems, I worry a lot. Their health is always the most important thing in the world."
His father Miguel worked on marketing and technology projects for one of the largest banks in Northern Spain, while his mother Charo worked at a university. She never stopped worrying that something bad would happen when she watched her children play sports. And Mikel made that worry even more permanent when he started playing football soon after his surgery and even added tennis to his list of favorites.
Arteta was serious about playing tennis professionally, until he was forced to choose at the age of 14: "Football is easier because at least you can blame others. In tennis, if you make a mistake, Only you can bear it."
In midfield, Arteta wandered from local side Antiguoko to short spells with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Glasgow Rangers before returning to Spain with San Sebastian and Real Sociedad. Next came a decade in England, first Everton and then Arsenal. Arteta was a born captain and gradually showed the qualities of a future coach from the pitch. At every team, he is always the one who organizes and tries to help the team play as a team.
Arteta confided: "I usually get to know people in the dressing room, get close and try to understand them. Maybe someone has just lost a father, or has a troubled relationship with their mother or agent. I always try. Try to find out stuff like that about every player and team member, because that's how you connect with other people."
The two got married in 2010, but tattooed each other's initials decades ago. Arteta's job forces him to move from city to city and not everywhere is urban sprawl, but Lorena slowly gets used to it.
"She helped me because nothing was a problem. Weather, life or injury were never an issue. It was just an opportunity for us to do other things, like spending more time with our wife, for example. She opened my mind, helped me find a solution instead of focusing on the problem," he said.
Arsenal is a long-term project for Arteta, so that his whole family can settle down in the long run. The Artetas all speak with a thick London accent and feel like English: "They have close and trusted friends and are in a good place." The Arteta family returned to San Sebastian whenever possible and often spent their summers in Majorca where Arteta's sister Amaya lived. For a person with a high-pressure job like Arteta, sometimes it is necessary to change the environment and landscape.
In addition to traveling and spending time with family, Arteta is also a watch enthusiast. However, he insists he is not one to chase after luxuries. When listening to his colleague Jose Mourinho once scolded young players who performed poorly on the pitch but showed up on the training ground with luxury cars, Arteta expressed his opinion: "I will try to understand why they are like that. I don't like to judge, I want to understand the players."
"I spend a lot of time with teenage players and have a huge responsibility for them. So I often give books and encourage them to read. Both Granit Xhaka and Buyako Saka are starting to read books at my suggestion. Today's phones give us everything, you can spend up to a couple of hours scrolling through the phone and I want the players to get rid of them for a while."
After many years, Arsenal is facing the chance to win the Premier League for the first time. Arsenal fans now love Arteta and wish him... as few outfit changes as possible. Arteta himself also understands that he is in the right team at the right time: "I am honored to have the opportunity to do what I love most at a club that I love, respect and admire. I love what I do every day. And every time I'm under pressure or doubt, I always ask myself: 'How do I feel about my current job?' And the answer is always: There is no better place."
