Studying from Pochettino & aiding Okocha - how PSG mortgage formed Arteta

In January 2001 Mikel Arteta left Barcelona for Paris St-Germain in a transfer that will finally assist rework one of the clever midfielders of his era into one of many recreation’s high coaches.

It was the place he first displayed the management qualities which have seen him progress to Arsenal supervisor and he’ll welcome PSG to Emirates Stadium on Tuesday within the Champions League.

The 18-year-old Arteta, confronted with the not possible activity of usurping the likes of Pep Guardiola, French World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit, Dutch worldwide Phillip Cocu and Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona’s star-studded midfield, had moved to the French capital on an 18-month mortgage deal.

PSG have been but to turn out to be French soccer’s dominant power however had progressed to the second group stage of the Champions League and boasted a number of huge names of their very own, together with Jay-Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka and Mauricio Pochettino.

A younger Brazilian by the title of Ronaldinho would be a part of the membership from Gremio later that yr.

Arteta barely spoke any French, however a small contingent of Spanish audio system helped him settle rapidly into life in Ligue 1 and regardless of his tender years, {the teenager} made an enormous impression on the Parc des Princes.

‘He had the soccer mind’

One of many first gamers to take Arteta below his wing was Pochettino, who the Spaniard has since described as his “huge brother” and “soccer father”.

The Argentine, 10 years his senior, additionally arrived in January 2001 after leaving La Liga aspect Espanyol and struck up a detailed bond together with his new team-mate as they shared a lodge for the primary three months of their time in Paris.

Arteta’s management expertise, in response to Pochettino, have been obvious from the outset.

“He was already a coach,” he mentioned of his former PSG colleague in 2023. “He was giving recommendation to me and the others. [I’d] say ‘wow!’ – the character, the persona, the charisma. He already had the soccer mind.”

Arteta was tasked by supervisor Luis Fernandez – who had already tried to signal {the teenager} whereas in command of Athletic Bilbao – with orchestrating play from a deep-lying midfield place, a job he fulfilled with a confidence and maturity that belied his age.

“Fernandez requested him to play merely and assist present a platform for extra artistic skills like Okocha, and he carried it out brilliantly,” French soccer skilled Matt Spiro instructed BBC Sport.

“Arteta was a quiet man however already displayed the steely dedication we see in him right this moment. Like most Barcelona gamers he was tactically glorious, however essentially the most stunning and spectacular side of his recreation, given his age, was his tactical consciousness.”

Arteta made 11 appearances earlier than the tip of the marketing campaign, scoring his first PSG purpose in a 2-2 draw with Lille on the season’s penultimate weekend. Regardless of his nice begin, nonetheless, Fernandez’s aspect ended that time period in inauspicious trend.

After shedding 4-0 to Auxerre within the French Cup fourth spherical – Arteta’s debut for the membership – they completed backside of their second-round group within the Champions League and solely narrowly clinched a top-half end on the ultimate day of the season.

However higher occasions have been simply across the nook.

PSG’s midfield mainstay – however not for lengthy

Victory in that summer season’s Intertoto Cup earned Les Parisiens a spot within the first spherical correct of the 2001-02 Uefa Cup.

Together with these early-season European video games, PSG received eight and drew 10 of their first 18 matches of the marketing campaign, ultimately struggling their first defeat at Bordeaux on the ultimate day of September.

Arteta performed the complete 90 minutes in all however one in every of his 16 league appearances earlier than Christmas, as PSG positioned themselves firmly within the combine for a return to the Champions League the next season.

“The crew had type on the pitch,” Fernandez, who remembers Arteta as a participant with “good etiquette and behavior”, instructed The Athletic final yr. “They all the time met my expectations in relation to the system and the organisation. We have been capable of make them evolve and develop as gamers. I’m blissful to have been capable of assist them, and Mikel.”

PSG would once more fall quick in France’s home cup competitions, shedding within the French Cup quarter-finals and League Cup semi-finals to Lorient and Bordeaux respectively.

Nevertheless it was a penalty-shootout defeat by Rangers within the Uefa Cup spherical of 32 that will show expensive in additional methods than one, because it marked the start of the tip of Arteta’s time on the membership.

The Glasgow outfit, who knew little of {the teenager} earlier than the first-leg assembly in late November, have been so impressed by his efficiency throughout each matches that they determined to supply Barcelona – who by that point had Andres Iniesta knocking on the first-team door – £6m for his providers.

Fernandez had reportedly made the everlasting acquisition of Arteta one in every of his high priorities, however regardless of holding a purchase order possibility for the midfielder, PSG have been overwhelmed to his signature by Alex McLeish’s aspect, who agreed a deal in March for Arteta to affix in the summertime.

‘A significant success’

Affirmation of his imminent departure did little to bitter Arteta’s relationship with the followers at PSG, who ended their Ligue 1 marketing campaign in fourth spot – inadequate for a Champions League return however a marked enchancment on ninth the earlier yr, and sufficient not less than to ensure Uefa Cup soccer for an additional season.

Arteta ended 2001-02 on 42 appearances in all competitions, his modest return of eight purpose involvements misrepresentative of the general influence he had throughout his mortgage spell.

As PSG supporters put together to journey to Emirates Stadium on 1 October, conversations amongst a sure classic might flip to their former midfield orchestrator who, within the intervening a long time, has blossomed into one of many brightest tactical minds within the recreation.

“Arteta was a serious success throughout his 18 months at PSG,” mentioned Spiro. “All people was disenchanted they didn’t handle to maintain him longer.

“They didn’t win any trophies, however followers nonetheless recall that interval – and Arteta – with nice fondness.”