Mikel Arteta opened up about the departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City.
The Citizens clash with Arsenal for the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon, and Enzo Maresca will be in charge of the club. That means the legendary Spaniard will not be present in the managerial position for the first time in a decade, having arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.
·‘He’s been a pleasure’
Arteta knows the former City manager well from years of challenging for the Premier League crown, and he was proud of beating his compatriot to the title in his final campaign. But he also knows him having been part of the backroom staff for the Citizens between 2016 and 2019 before he returned to the Emirates Stadium.
So, there was plenty of praise for Guardiola during the press conference.
“I’m probably going to fall short in the way I can praise what [Pep] has done. First of all for the Premier League, for the country, the way he has opened a different way of understanding the game, and I think he has escalated the Premier League to a different level.
·‘The best coach in the history of football’
“He has brought standards to something that we haven’t witnessed before; I was very lucky to be part of it for four years and to understand and witness how it’s done daily. It’s remarkable, it’s unique, and I’ve always said before that I think he’s the best coach in the history of football for many reasons.
“I know the standards. They had the backroom, the stability, the quality to go and do it again, so it’s been a real challenge, but as I said, I took it in a way that regardless of what happened, this would make us better and push boundaries time after time in every department of the club, to try and reach this level.
“When I arrived here, I had a sense, in terms of distance and years, of how far we were behind, because I was there to witness the daily operation and the level to be able to win it. To do it in the time that we’ve done it, I think we should feel proud.
“You could sense it in the last year that there could have been a situation of it happening, but with someone like [Pep], he could wake up in the morning and be so excited about what he sees around him and carry on doing it – as he has done for 10 years, which nowadays is something just incredible.
·‘He’s made all of us better’
“He’s done it in many different countries and leagues, but in a really consistent and sustainable way, which is the hardest thing to do. I think he’s going to be missed in the Premier League – I don’t know if as coaches we’ll miss him so much! It’s so difficult to play against him and to compete in the manner that he does with his teams.
“First of all, I have gratitude for the time I have had with him, which was incredible and then because I think he’s elevated all the coaches and teams to work in different ways, and he’s made all of us better. He’s been a pleasure.”
