Mikel Arteta faces Champions League showdown with mentor Luis Enrique
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Arteta's Arsenal take on Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final, first leg on April 29.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
LONDON – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have to beat one of the most influential figures in his football life when the Gunners face Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.
Arteta’s side host PSG in the first leg on April 29, as the Spaniard aims to lead Arsenal to only their second Champions League final appearance.
Standing in his way is a close friend who, along with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, played a major role in his impressive transition from the pitch to the dugout.
Compatriot Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona when Arteta started his playing career at the Camp Nou, a period that had a major impact on his managerial philosophy with Arsenal.
“He was extremely supportive with the young players, he was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him,” Arteta said.
“What I love about him is wherever he’s been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place. You can sense it’s his team with the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games.”
The pupil has already got the better of his mentor once this season, when Arsenal eased to a 2-0 win over PSG in the league phase at the Emirates Stadium in October.
But PSG have improved dramatically since then, in large part because Enrique’s decision to drop Ousmane Dembele against Arsenal for disciplinary reasons has inspired the France forward’s superb run of form.
It was the kind of ruthless gamble that Arteta is willing to take himself.
“I admire his honesty. He will look in your eyes and tell you what he thinks. In the end, players appreciate that,” Arteta said.
“An unbelievable personality, huge character, huge energy. I learnt a lot of things from him.
“For me, he’s one of the best coaches in the world and someone who helped me a huge amount. I have the utmost respect both for how he is as a person and his way of working.”
The feeling is mutual, with Enrique saying: “He is one of the best coaches at the moment.
“He changed Arsenal’s fortunes from a somewhat winless streak to one of the best teams in the world that is competing for titles.”
While Arteta and Enrique are sure to share a private moment together after the tie, they will put their friendship on hold to focus on finally delivering Champions League glory to their clubs.
Arsenal have never won the tournament, losing to Barcelona in the 2006 final, while PSG have a tortured recent history, beaten by Bayern Munich in their only final in 2020. AFP
