When playing football in Paris 24 years ago, Arteta was already "Guardiola Little"

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Wang Qinbo

On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain's second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal will be the first time that Mikel Arteta returns to the Princes Park Stadium as Arsenal head coach. The stadium witnessed the glory of a season and a half when he was young (January 2001 to May 2002) until he left the team after the game against Metz on April 27, 2002.

18-year-old Arteta was loaned to Paris from Barcelona B team, starting his first important adult team experience in his career. All this is thanks to the then Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Fernandez, who led to the loan transfer.

Fernandez discovered Arteta as early as when coaching Athletic Bilbao (1996-2000). At that time, Arteta played for the Antiguaco Club in his hometown of San Sebastian - a satellite academy base for Real Sociedad (now this club has been pried away by Bilbao). Fernandez recalled: "We had signed two players from them at that time. I really wanted to introduce Mikel. He was very attractive. But the other party was unwilling to let go, so he eventually joined Barcelona."

Fernandez did not forget this new star. After returning to Paris Saint-Germain in 2000, he immediately asked the club to loan Arteta. In January 2001, the transfer was finally reached.

Fernandez's favoritism of Arteta stems from his admiration for Cruyff's football philosophy. He explained: "Cruyff created the No. 6 - a technical midfielder who stood in front of the defense and had extraordinary qualities. Pep Guardiola perfectly interpreted this role under Cruyff. I have been looking for such a player, and Mikel is exactly the case."

Arteta's talent made him stand out in Barcelona's youth training camp (La Masia). He can quickly sense the surrounding information, adjust his position, and guide the rhythm of the game. Technically, he made the ball cleanly and could always send out the key pass before the shot. Fernandez nicknamed Arteta "Guardiola Jr." and said: "He has similar traits to Pep. I like this player who can serve as a hub on the court. Mikel is one of the pioneers of this position. He failed to gain a foothold in Barcelona, ​​perhaps because Iniesta is ready to go." In Paris, Arteta played side by side with stars such as Pochettino, Heinze, Okocha, Anelka, and other stars, and in 2001 he welcomed the Brazilian genius Ronaldinho. In 18 months, he has made 53 appearances for Paris and contributed 5 goals. Paris hopes to keep him after the loan ends, but Barcelona rejected Paris' request. In fact, Barcelona did not have an Arteta location at the time, and in the summer of 2002, he was sold to Glasgow Wanderers in Scotland.

Fernandez is full of affection for Arteta's time in Paris. He said in an interview with Le Parisien: "Micker has good memories of Paris Saint-Germain. He loves this club deeply and loves the atmosphere of Princes Park. Paris gave him opportunities when he was young to show his talent and lay the foundation for future growth. He is grateful for this. Meeting him at Princes Park on Wednesday is of great significance." Many of Fernandez's disciples later became top coaches, including Pochettino, Vieira, and Zidane, a friend at the end of his career. He sighed: "It is a blessing to be able to work with these players and see them step on the coaching seat. They deserve it. Mikel has an excellent mentality, seriousness and respect. His lasting success in football is no accident. I like him very much, and only good memories with him are beautiful. He has excellent personality and professional qualities. I am proud of his achievements in coaching Arsenal. His team is full of qualities."

However, Fernandez admitted that Arteta, who was under 20, did not show his coaching potential: "If someone said he would become a coach at the time, I would have thought it was impossible. It was not that I was not optimistic about him, but that his performance at that time made him feel that he could not have been able to do so. It is hard to imagine. He is impeccable, respectful to his teammates, coaches and tactics. He is always the first to go to the training ground, barely speaking, full of heart, full of desire and will. A few years later, when I saw him as Guardiola's assistant coach at Manchester City, he was completely different and became better. "

Fernandez hopes that the fans will greet Arteta with applause: "I hope the Park Princes will give him a warm welcome. We should treat players who respect the uniforms, clubs and fans well. If he is booed, I will be sad. Mikel knows the significance of Paris to his career, and this experience has made him stand out."