Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Lionel Messi were both once a part of Barcelona’s La Masia academy.
The Spaniard didn’t make it at Camp Nou. He was loaned out to Paris Saint-Germain and then sold to Rangers. Arteta then moved to Everton and became a star there before joining Arsenal in 2011.
Messi came onto the scene a few years after Arteta left Barcelona and went on to become the greatest player of all time.
It is no surprise that Arteta knows all about Messi, but the Argentine appears to be very aware of the Arsenal manager and the job he is doing too.
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Mikel Arteta reacts after Lionel Messi rates him as the third-best manager in the world
Mikel Arteta has done a tremendous job at Arsenal over the years.
The Spaniard took charge of the Gunners when they were in an awful situation. He took his time and had ups and downs, but he has transformed them into one of the best teams in the world.
Certain pundits and rival fans constantly try to undermine the work Arteta has done by pointing out how he hasn’t won the Premier League or the Champions League yet.
Yes, the Arsenal manager needs those trophies, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t among the best managers in world football right now.
The greatest player in the history of football, Lionel Messi, thinks he is.
During FIFA’s The Best awards recently, the World Cup winner ranked Arteta as the third-best manager in the world in 2025. His old boss Luis Enrique got the top spot, while current Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was his second pick.
That should tell you all you need to know about Arteta, and the Arsenal boss is really happy that Messi has recognised the work he has done.
Reacting to his rankings, the Spaniard told Sky Sports: “Well, it’s great to hear that.
“He’s somebody that I have an incredible admiration for, the best player in the history of the game. So, if he has this eye for our team and the work that we have done, it’s very good to hear.”
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Mikel Arteta could be about to dominate the Premier League
Arsenal, under Arteta, have finished second three seasons in a row in the Premier League.
The next step is to become champions, but Manchester City are currently the biggest threat to the Gunners in this season’s title race.
Nobody knows what will happen in the next few months, but Arsenal fans feel Arteta is going to dominate the Premier League in the coming years.
That’s because there are suggestions that Pep Guardiola could leave City at the end of this campaign.
If that happens, Arsenal will likely be the favourites to win the title in each of the next few seasons, and it won’t surprise us if Arteta goes on to win it multiple times.
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