Mikel Arteta has admitted his love for Paris after spending time there as a player for PSG, but admits he still has a lot to do with Arsenal.
The Spaniard played alongside current Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino, and has refused to rule out a possible move there in the future.
The Arsenal boss made his senior debut for the club when joining from Barcelona on loan, before leaving to join Rangers on a permanent deal a year-and-a-half later despite PSG having first option and putting in an offer.
The situation clearly didn’t sour his time with the club or the city however as he moved to praise his time there previously.
“I love Paris, I love Paris,” he told BeIN Sports FR(via the Standard)..
“I have very good memories from over there. It was my first club as a professional. The club is always in my heart.
“You never know, but I have a lot of work to do (at Arsenal).”
Arteta went onto back his former team-mate who recently took over the managerial role in Paris, and backed him to succeed in his role.
He also said: “PSG have an incredible team… The manager Mauricio Pochettino is a coach that I am close to because I played with him at PSG.
“He is a very, very strong manager and I hope that he will win a lot of titles with PSG.”
Arteta was linked with the job before Pochettino was hired as boss, although it remains to be seen if he was considered as a candidate for the role by the hierarchy, although the former Spurs boss was always amongst the favourites to take over at the time.
Can you imagine Mikel taking over the role in the future?
Patrick
maybe if our form dips again this season we should discuss the possibility of creating some sort of manager exchange program with PSG…I remember learning a few valuable lessons when I was in high school and we had a French exchange student staying at the house…nothing football-related though…
That’s not a bad idea! Guendouzi/Mbappe swap deal? I think PSG need a new CM.
Call me “old fashion” but I very much dislike hearing the manager in situ talking in such terms about another club, particularly lines such as “You Never Know”.
As anyone, M A is perfectly entitled to express his “love” for another club (city), but it’s not something I like to read.
Disappointed (stupid I know).
I know what you mean. All I would say is that managers have to be diplomatic and Arteta was talking by the looks of things, to a French outlet
As for Patrick suggesting that Arteta could manage PSG I see no reason why not. The one thing I have realised after Wenger and Ferguson that a manager staying at one club too long can have detrimental effects after they leave
Hi SueP.
You are of course spot on – it’s just me being daft.
We’re just lucky the interview didn’t take place in Totterringham !!!
😁
If we dont change our marketing strategy then no top manager will ever think of taking over at Arsenal. The big clubs have spoiled football using money and for Arsenal they want to stick to the old fashion which can not work unless Liverpool way.
I’d far rather swop the owners !
Now THAT WOULD make a huge difference. And who can deny that is the reality of what we REALLY need? To at least get rid of Kroenke and if we can get an owner who at least gives a fig for the sport his club plays, which Kroenke does NOT, then that would be a bonus at the very least.
To own a sports club while you don’t even like, let alone love, the sport your club pays, is at best immoral and at worst a scandal.
Do please think about that last sentence fellow Gooners, as it IS A SCANDAL AND I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT SO AND HOPE YOU AGREE.
At this juncture of his career, regardless of the context, anything other than an unequivocal “No, I’m the Arsenal manager and have no interest in any other job in the footballing world” is totally unacceptable…even cheeky speculation or hinting at the possibility are problematic, considering what has and hasn’t transpired so far in North London…I’m not sure if he simply has an overly inflated ego or he’s so naïve that he couldn’t understand how this might be negatively construed by the Arsenal fanbase…either possibility gives me pause for concern