Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has disclosed that he shares a strong bond with Chelsea counterpart Mauricio Pochettino and regards him as a “father figure.”
Although they are presently coaching rival teams in the Premier League, they were once teammates at Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta had a loan spell at PSG from Barcelona early in his professional career back in 2001, and it was during this period that he joined forces with Pochettino.
Despite Pochettino being a decade his senior, the Gunners boss has opened up about their close relationship.
Pochettino and Arteta spent a season and a half as teammates before Arteta’s move to Rangers. Nevertheless, they crossed paths once more when Arteta signed for Real Sociedad, while Pochettino returned to Espanyol.
Arteta has since flourished as a coach, with his Arsenal side delivering strong performances in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Pochettino has earned recognition as a respected manager through his tenures at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, and PSG before his recent appointment with Chelsea in the summer.
Arteta has hailed Pochettino as a key influence on his career, alongside the likes of Pep Guardiola, Johan Cruyff and Arsene Wenger.
“Then one of the ones I have to say was Mauricio Pochettino because he was the first professional captain I had and he was like a father figure for me when I arrived at PSG,” he told Football365.
“We signed almost the same day and we all landed in the same hotel, five or ten minutes away from the training ground. We could not speak French; we were there by ourselves and we spent three months in that hotel together every single day.
“So we built a really strong relationship. He was 30 or 31 years old; I was 17/18 and he just put me under his arm, carried me and protected me. It was a joy to have someone like that.”
Arteta’s Arsenal is set to take on West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, while Chelsea will be facing Blackburn in their upcoming fixture.