London: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta did the unthinkable as he became the first Gunners manager since George Graham in 1986-1987, to win a major trophy in his first season at the helm. The moment came when Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
Arteta’s journey as a part of the coaching staff began when he served three years under Pep Guardiola as an assistant coach at Manchester City. He left City last year yo take the top post at Arsenal and beat City convincingly 2-0 in the FA cup semifinal in July. Post winning, Arteta expressed gratitude to the former boss and his family.
“He has been a key figure in my development as a coach, he has my gratitude. I wouldn’t be sitting here today without him. I have to thank him big time. I miss my family so much they have been all the way with me,” Arteta told BT Sport.
Arteta also hailed his compatriot when the Arsenal and City met in Premier League tie in June. “Well, he (Guardiola) was an influence for me since I was 15 years old and we met at Barcelona, both as players, and in my coaching career and my personal life, he has an enormous influence,” Arteta said prior to 3-0 defeat to City.
“If I have to talk about the person he is, his values, the way he has treated me and how he deals with the players and the staff around him, its phenomenal. As a coach, I have learned so much from him, we have spent some amazing moments together, some difficult ones as well, but the experience next to him has been incredible.”
