Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed how he tends to spend international breaks.
The Gunners sit at the top of the Premier League table after seven matches, and thus, this break may have come at the most frustrating time for the Spanish manager, who would’ve wanted to build on the momentum his team had created.
18 of Arsenal’s senior players were away on international duty, meaning Arteta’s squad was somewhat decimated, and there would’ve been little to no point holding training sessions.
Instead, the manager would’ve had an opportunity to reflect on what has happened so far this season and prepare for the next set of fixtures.
Mikel Arteta reveals how he spends international breaks
Arsenal have a challenging, but winnable, set of fixtures after this international break.
Trips to Fulham, Sunderland and Burnley are surrounded by tough home games against Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid.
Arteta will no doubt have been focusing on these teams, trying to learn everything he can about them ahead of having to prepare his side to face them.
However, the tactician has revealed that he does actually take a break when his players are on international duty and spends time with his family, rather than being entirely work-centric.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta outlined what he tends to do during these two-week off periods.
“Well, in various ways,” he said.
“Sometimes we have decided to get away for four or five days when the kids are off school and we can all go together with my wife. Sometimes we stay in London and I just be the dad that sometimes I cannot be.
“So take them to school, get up with them in the mornings, get them dressed, pick them up from school, have a coffee or a walk with my wife and go and enjoy London in different ways.
“Work as well, the international period is a good moment as well for reflection on what you’ve done and to prepare for the next block of games and competition. So there is a variety there.”
Mikel Arteta gets a bad reputation in the media
Arteta is often depicted as a cold, excuse-making machine in the media.
The divisive manager has been vilified in recent years, with his words regularly twisted and used against him.
This has bled into the general narrative around him in the terraces, as many non-Arsenal fans now see Arteta as something of a pantomime villain.
However, personable interviews like this one with Sky Sports serve as a reminder that he is still a very down-to-earth and warm character.
He’s certainly stern and intense, but he’s an exceptional orator and very easy to listen to when he speaks about even slightly mundane things.
If his reputation as a person can change somewhat in the coming months, then perhaps it will help his team face less intense scrutiny moving forward.
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