Mikel Arteta, born March 26, 1982, in San Sebastián, Spain, is a retired professional footballer turned manager. Beginning his career at Barcelona B, Arteta played for several clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers, Everton, and Arsenal. At Arsenal, he served as club captain and won two FA Cups, showcasing his technical prowess and leadership qualities as a midfielder.

Transitioning to coaching after retirement, Arteta worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, learning from one of the game’s top managers. In December 2019, he took on the role of head coach at Arsenal. Arteta’s coaching philosophy emphasizes tactical discipline and developing young talent within the squad.

Though his tenure has faced challenges, Arteta has shown promise as a manager, aiming to restore Arsenal’s competitive edge in the Premier League and European competitions. His focus on improving the team’s defensive organization and possession-based style reflects his playing background and influences from Guardiola’s coaching methods.

While results have been mixed, Arteta’s dedication to reshaping Arsenal’s identity and nurturing emerging talent suggests a bright future ahead. As he continues to evolve as a manager, Arteta remains a figure to watch in the footballing world, with potential to leave a lasting impact on the sport.

Mikel Arteta Quotes

01. What I’ve learned mostly is that you have to be ruthless and you have to be consistent and you have to fit every day the culture of the club to create a winning mentality.”
— Mikel Arteta

02 “If you don’t have the right culture, in the difficult moments, the tree is going to shake, so my job is to convince everybody that this is how we are going to live, and if you are going to be part of this organisation it has to be in these terms and in this way.”
— Mikel Arteta

03. “The challenge is how to be better than the day before, than the previous game.”
— Mikel Arteta

04. “The challenge is how to be better than the day before, than the previous game.”
— Mikel Arteta

05. “I cannot have a concept of football where everything is based on the opposition. We have to dictate the game, we have to be the ones taking the initiative, and we have to entertain the people coming to watch us.”
— Mikel Arteta

06. “When I was playing in England, I started to realise what Arsenal meant.”
— Mikel Arteta

07. “When Arsenal knocks on any door, it’s difficult to say no. When it knocks on my door, this is my house and it makes it very difficult.”
— Mikel Arteta

08. “How do you recruit a player if you don’t really know what it is that you are trying to do? How do you convince a player of the way you want to play if you don’t have clarity yourself over why you want to do it?”
— Mikel Arteta

09. “Mauricio Pochettino – he was my captain at PSG and I always knew he would become a manager. He has taken a lot of influence from Marcelo Bielsa, who was his coach with Argentina; they used to talk about things a lot, and now you can see that his teams are really aggressive, both when attacking and defending.”
— Mikel Arteta

10. “To see the line between being good and bad is really thin. It’s not easy for anyone, not the manager, the players or the staff.”
— Mikel Arteta

11. “After winning, it’s hard to go to not winning.”
— Mikel Arteta

12. “You like more the people that you work with, you believe more in them, you share some fantastic moments and that habit of winning, winning, winning… after you win, you don’t want to stop winning.”
— Mikel Arteta

13. “I tell you that the coaches are like cardiologists – they have to enter the player in their hearts so that the message reaches them.”
— Mikel Arteta

14. “Without an identity, you cannot plan and you cannot convince a player to do what you want.”
— Mikel Arteta

15. “I think winning brings togetherness and, when you have beautiful experiences together and you win trophies, then those experiences stay within that group.”
— Mikel Arteta

16. “I have tried to convince the players that if we work on certain things in training, they will happen in games and we will score goals from them.”
— Mikel Arteta

17. “Then you have to convince the players and get them on board with what you are doing, and after that you can start to build. But the identity is the foundation for everything.”
— Mikel Arteta

18. “Criticism is part of being at a club like Arsenal. You always have to win and when you’re not winning you have to be prepared for that. It’s part of your job.”
— Mikel Arteta

19. “Monday is going to be a very difficult day, I believe, because after all these emotions, you realise that probably you hang up your boots and stop doing something I have been doing for the last 17 or 18 years in a professional way.”
— Mikel Arteta

20. “When you stop for months and you come back, you try everything, and I worked so hard to get back but then you do it again and again and again. You disappoint yourself and other people at the club, the manager, everybody. You don’t know how to get it right.”
— Mikel Arteta

21. “In my playing career, Anfield was the only ground where I had a feeling of being stuck.”
— Mikel Arteta

22. “The challenge is how to be better than the day before, than the previous game. What I’ve learned mostly is that you have to be ruthless and you have to be consistent and you have to fit every day the culture of the club to create a winning mentality. Desire is not enough. Desire is great, attitude is great and personality is good but then you need the quality and the organisation. The boys were incredibly good today and deserved to win the game.”
— Mikel Arteta

23. “I tell you that the coaches are like cardiologists – they have to enter the player in their hearts so that the message reaches them. Every day is important, every act is important. The secret is that the people, players and staff have to believe what you are trying to deliver. Today again the experience with these people. How they support the team, the energy that they create especially when we concede a goal, I’ve never seen this. Straight away they’re behind the team and putting energy into the team it’s just incredible to live it.”
— Mikel Arteta

24. “Criticism is part of being at a club like Arsenal. You always have to win and when you’re not winning you have to be prepared for that. It’s part of your job. After an international break you do not know if they are in the frame of mind to come back and do the things necessary to win this league.”
— Mikel Arteta

25. “I think winning brings togetherness and, when you have beautiful experiences together and you win trophies, then those experiences stay within that group.”
— Mikel Arteta

26. “When you stop for months and you come back, you try everything, and I worked so hard to get back but then you do it again and again and again. You disappoint yourself and other people at the club, the manager, everybody. You don’t know how to get it right.”
— Mikel Arteta

27. “To see the line between being good and bad is really thin. It’s not easy for anyone, not the manager, the players or the staff. We can only focus on what we can control.”
— Mikel Arteta

28. “Monday is going to be a very difficult day, I believe, because after all these emotions, you realise that probably you hang up your boots and stop doing something I have been doing for the last 17 or 18 years in a professional way.”
— Mikel Arteta

29. “You like more the people that you work with, you believe more in them, you share some fantastic moments and that habit of winning, winning, winning. After you win, you don’t want to stop winning.”
— Mikel Arteta

30. “I cannot have a concept of football where everything is based on the opposition. We have to dictate the game, we have to be the ones taking the initiative, and we have to entertain the people coming to watch us.”
— Mikel Arteta

31. “Energy is everything, in life, in football and in sports. What I have learned mostly is you have to be ruthless. I have so much respect for this football club that if I did not feel ready I would not be sitting in this chair. The first thing I have to do is change the energy. The players have to accept a different process, a different way of thinking. If we don’t have the right culture the tree is going to shake.”
— Mikel Arteta

32. “How do you recruit a player if you don’t really know what it is that you are trying to do? How do you convince a player of the way you want to play if you don’t have clarity yourself over why you want to do it?”
— Mikel Arteta

33. “Without an identity, you cannot plan and you cannot convince a player to do what you want. I have tried to convince the players that if we work on certain things in training, they will happen in games and we will score goals from them. Then you have to convince the players and get them on board with what you are doing, and after that you can start to build. But the identity is the foundation for everything.”
— Mikel Arteta

34. “He’s going to have to deal with expectations of the media, with attention on the pitch. When you want to fulfil a role like the one he has at the moment, you need to be capable of doing that.”
— Mikel Arteta

35. “This is a huge honour. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and Josh Kroenke, and the senior people from the club.”
— Mikel Arteta

36. “When I was playing in England, I started to realise what Arsenal meant. When Arsenal knocks on any door, it’s difficult to say no. When it knocks on my door, this is my house and it makes it very difficult. I will give every drop of blood for this football club to make it better. I know the expectations and the stature of this club and what it deserves. I’ve got a good vibe. I’m sensing a good energy. I feel so happy!”
— Mikel Arteta

37. “The ambition of this football club is very clear. You have to fight for trophies and be in Europe. The rest is not good enough.”
— Mikel Arteta

38. “I was born in Barcelona and the club that had the most similar value, styles and ambition was Arsenal. One man believed in me, Arsène Wenger, he gave me the chance to play for this club.”
— Mikel Arteta

39. “Mauricio Pochettino – he was my captain at PSG and I always knew he would become a manager. He has taken a lot of influence from Marcelo Bielsa, who was his coach with Argentina; they used to talk about things a lot, and now you can see that his teams are really aggressive, both when attacking and defending.”
— Mikel Arteta

40. “After winning, it’s hard to go to not winning. In my playing career, Anfield was the only ground where I had a feeling of being stuck.”
— Mikel Arteta

41. “We play for [the fans]. At the end of the day, they’re expecting a lot from us. We have to give them enjoyment, we have to make their lives better and when we win, it will be better because they will be happier. It’s our responsibility and we have to do everything we can to achieve that.”
— Mikel Arteta