Mikel Arteta has constructed a close, family-like atmosphere at Arsenal.
Since his return to Arsenal as manager in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has discussed the importance of unity within the club.
This philosophy has underpinned his efforts to reconnect the club with the fans, which has in turn led to rejuvenated and passionate atmospheres at the Emirates Stadium.
Now, one of the Arsenal staff members has provided a personal insight into how seriously Arteta takes this aspect of his job.
Arsenal staff member shares touching Mikel Arteta story
Dr Zafar Iqbal, the Head of Sports Medicine & Performance at Arsenal, who goes by DrZaf on X, was recently speaking in a Space call on the platform.
In a clip shared by X user @aliladiere, the club doctor shared an anecdote that will give Arsenal fans an insight into Arteta’s compassionate side.
Having been asked about the difference between life at Arsenal and his previous clubs, Iqbal said: “I’d say it’s the manager. I’ve worked with some fantastic managers, at Liverpool with Sir Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers.
“But I think Mikel is just a very special guy. He makes everybody secure… He’s very demanding, but he creates such a healthy environment. From top down, everybody is fighting for him.
“Why I actually joined the club, a large part of it was because of my interviews with him… He even thinks about families and kids and stuff.
“I’ll just share a little story very quickly. My son was getting bullied at school. I was just speaking with Mikel. Mikel was asking about my son, I just said he’s getting bullied at school and I’m struggling because I want to go into school and tell the kids off but obviously I can’t.
“So he said, ‘why don’t you just bring him to the training ground and he can do training in the evenings?’
“And I just thought what a nice gesture, you know? I just felt so happy that he’s actually thought of me and my kid and the fact that, obviously, for a confidence boost it would be massive for my son in the evenings to go and do weight training and use Arsenal’s facilities.
“That just shows the measure of who Mikel is, and even more so why I want to work even harder for him and the rest of the team.”
Mikel Arteta’s impact at Arsenal
The Spanish coach treats the players and coaches like family, and this anecdote demonstrates that he ensures that their own families feel involved at the club.
In another example, the Arsenal players who traveled to Marbella for an early pre-season training camp this summer were invited to bring their loved ones along with them.
Reiss Nelson has credited Arteta with transforming Arsenal. So much of the progress that the club have made on the pitch in recent years can be attributed to the work that the manager has done behind the scenes.
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