Before becoming a successful manager at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta was a stylish midfielder. And the Spaniard began his professional adventure in the PSG jersey in the early 2000s, with Luis Fernandez on the bench, Mauricio Pochettino as a mentor and partners as talented as Ronaldinho, Jay-Jay Okocha or Nicolas Anelka.
A little pang in the heart and a nostalgic look in the rearview mirror. Mikel Arteta is preparing to experience an emotional moment during the summit match between Arsenal and PSG, this Tuesday in the Champions League (9 p.m.). More than twenty years later, the Gunners coach has forgotten nothing about his time in the French capital, where he launched his playing career when he was barely an adult. “I feel eternal gratitude for PSG, who gave me the opportunity to play for the first time at the professional level. I enjoyed this experience at the club, the city, the teammates and the coach that I “To face them today is very special for me,” explained the 42-year-old technician before the clash at the Emirates Stadium.
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Alerted to his potential when he coached Athletic Bilbao (1996-2000), it was Luis Fernandez, then on the PSG bench, who used his networks in Spain to bring in Mikel Arteta at the start of 2021. In the form of ‘a loan. The young midfielder played with the FC Barcelona reserve, where he was trained, without having played a single professional match. The native of San Sebastián arrived during the winter at the age of 18 as a complete unknown, in the company of his compatriot Quique De Lucas (who will only make five appearances in the red and blue jersey).
Revealed at San Siro, hatched by Pochettino
But his talent quickly caught the eye of everyone at Camp des Loges. “During his first training, we did a sort of toro, with six players in a circle and two others in the middle who had to recover the ball. Mikel was easy… right foot, left foot, inside, outside, he didn’t didn’t lose a ball”, remembers Edouard Cissé, interviewed by Le Parisien. His baptism at the Parc des Princes, however, turned into humiliation in the Coupe de France against AJ Auxerre of Djibril Cissé and Khalilou Fadiga (0-4). But four days later, Arteta made his mark during a draw at AC Milan in the Champions League (1-1). His technical ease, his serenity and his vista amazed all the observers at San Siro. Enough to fully launch your Parisian adventure.
Accompanied by his mother in the City of Lights, the 1.77m right-hander stayed for several months in the same hotel as the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino. And the central defender quickly became a mentor for the young Basque. “He took care of me like a child, a little brother,” Arteta recently told beIN Sports. “He played an important role in my success in Paris because he really looked after me. He gave me advice and a lot of confidence.” Gabriel Heinze and Cristobal, the other Spanish speakers in the locker room, also surrounded his first steps. Enough to give confidence to the ex-Masia talent, who was quickly dubbed by PSG supporters.
“Little Guardiola” is unanimous
With his number 4, his small size and his natural elegance, Mikel Arteta, positioned as a sentry in front of the defense, has established himself over the months as an essential element within a team where Ronaldinho, Jay-Jay Okocha played or Nicolas Anelka. To the point of being nicknamed “little Guardiola”, in reference to Pep Guardiola, his youth idol (also trained at Barça), whom he joined as an assistant at Manchester City (2016-2019), before becoming himself a head coach.
“I have always had an attraction for these midfielders in front of the defense, who have a technical facility for bringing out the balls,” recalls Luis Fernandez in Ouest-France. “He saw quite quickly, he broke the lines. When a teammate was bothered with the ball, he gave it to him. Defensively, he was not going to tackle. He had a sense of anticipation, intelligence in placement.” Outside the green rectangle too, the Basque was unanimous thanks to his impeccable attitude, his humility, his phlegm and his hard work. Even if he didn’t lack character for his young age.
Paris failed to keep it
Seduced by the profile and class of Mikel Arteta, PSG extended his loan for a year in the summer of 2001. Enough to allow the Spaniard to gain confidence and string together convincing matches, in a sometimes more offensive role. With some disillusionment on the European scene, like the nightmarish defeat at La Coruna in the Champions League (4-3) or the elimination against Glasgow Rangers in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup (0 -0, 3 tab to 4). But also a fourth place in the championship, after having fought for the title for a while.
Despite his performance, his aura and his desire to extend, Mikel Arteta was not retained after his second loan in the capital. PSG were unable to align themselves financially to obtain his permanent signing in 2002. The Spaniard then returned to Barcelona, before being transferred to Rangers for 7.9 million euros (with a salary of 150,000 euros ), then joining Everton and Arsenal, where he will put away his boots in 2016. In total, Arteta played 53 matches (including 4 in C1) with PSG, for 5 goals and 5 assists (all competitions combined). A report tinged with regret for the main person concerned. “I wanted to stay there, but at that time I had a contract with Barcelona and they couldn’t find an agreement,” summarizes the Arsenal coach today. “I had to do something else, but I was very happy in Paris and I wanted to stay there…”
