Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expresses a desire to return to his native Spain at some point in his management career.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted he would like to manage in Spain at some point in his career.
After hanging up his boots in 2016, Arteta began his coaching career at Manchester City, before he returned to Arsenal to kickstart his management journey in December 2019.
Arteta has overseen a significant upturn in fortunes during his time in the Arsenal dugout, leading the club to glory in the 2019-20 FA Cup while turning his side into title challengers in the last two seasons.
Having showcased his management credentials, Arteta was linked with the Barcelona job earlier this year after Xavi announced he would be leaving the club.
Arteta subsequently quashed those rumours, insisting he was in the “right place”, before Xavi later went back on his initial decision.
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Arteta expresses desire to return to Spain
While there is no current vacancy at Barcelona, Arteta is likely to be linked with Catalan giants in the future after spending time in the club’s youth system.
Whether it is with Barcelona or another Spanish club, the 42-year-old has admitted he would like to return to manage in his native country in the future.
“I have always thought that one day I will return,” Arteta said when speaking at the UK Spanish Embassy on Wednesday.
“My home draws me a lot, our way of living, of getting together, the culture – and that means I always have it in my head.
“But I am happy here, happy with how they treat me, and I really enjoy my job. But someday I suppose it will come, I’m not going to be away for my whole life.”
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Arteta preparing for decisive day in Premier League title race
A return to Spain may be on the cards in the long-term future, but in the present moment, Arteta will be fully focused on Sunday’s crucial clash against Everton.
The Gunners head into the final day of the season in second place and two points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
While the title race is not in their hands, Arsenal will be crowned Premier League winners for the first time in 20 years if they beat Everton and the Citizens fail to win in their home meeting with West Ham United.
After winning each of their last five matches, Arteta’s troops will carry significant momentum into Sunday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium.
