2023-10-22 01:27:52
“It’s going to be strange but I’m going to be proud to face it.” Mauricio Pochettino is ready to reunite with his former PSG teammate Mikel Arteta on the opposing bench during the clash between Chelsea and Arsenal scheduled for this Saturday (6:30 p.m.). The two coaches formed very important links during their time in the capital in the early 2000s.
In France, the Argentinian defender, who played for Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol Barcelona, took the young Spanish midfielder, sent by Barça on loan to get tougher, under his wing. “In Paris, it was my first professional opportunity and when I arrived, we lived together for three months in a hotel,” Arteta said at a press conference. He was one of the most influential people in my football career. »
At PSG, “he took me under the arm like that,” he mimed. “He took care of me like a child, like a little brother. He played an important role in my success in Paris, because he really looked after me, gave me a lot of confidence and gave me advice. He has been a role model for me ever since.”
“One of the best coaches in the world”
The Arsenal coach confided that he will be “always grateful” to the Argentinian for what he gave him as a player, before launching himself as a coach… even if he obviously did not took into account the opinion of his mentor in this specific case. The advice he gave her? “Don’t become a coach, it’s too hard!” “, said the Spanish technician with a burst of laughter.
“I knew he would become a coach,” Arteta added of “Poche”, ten years his senior. “As a player he was already a leader, the way he understood the game was phenomenal. I had him on my back and he was already bossing me around all the time.”
Seeing Arteta succeed on a bench “didn’t surprise” Pochettino either, because the Spaniard already had the soul of a coach “at 17 when I met him”, the Argentine recalled on Friday . “(He is) still very young, he can become one of the best coaches in the world.”
“He shows that he is one of the best. It’s not enough to be good tactically, you have to manage the players, the media, the owners, the sporting director. It’s not just being intelligent, in the end that’s not the most important thing,” explained the former PSG coach.
Arsenal, beaten by Lens in the Champions League at the start of October, are second on equal points with leader Tottenham before traveling on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) during the 9th day of the Premier League to Chelsea, 11th after a complicated start to the season. The opportunity to relaunch himself against his former teammate and friend? Pochettino remained clear, at Stamford Bridge this Saturday, there will be no qualms: “we both want to win!” »
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