2026-08-15 09:31:13
Mikel Arteta has praised Pep Guardiola as the “best coach in the history of football”.
The Arsenal boss believes the former Manchester City manager – who left the club at the end of last season after a decade in charge – took the Premier League “to a different level” during his tenure in England because he inspired all coaches to work even harder.
He told reporters: “I am going to fall short on the way I can praise what he has done.
“For the Premier League, for the country, I think he has opened a different way of understanding the game. He has escalated the Premier League to a different level.
“He has brought a different standard to the league that we have not witnessed before. I was very lucky to be a part of that and understand and witness how it is done daily, I think it is remarkable.
“For me he is the best coach in the history of football. He will be missed in the Premier League but I don’t know if coaches will miss him.
“I owe him gratitude for the time I was there, it was incredible and I think he has elevated all the coaches and teams to think and to work in different ways and that has made all of us better so it has been a pleasure. Now it is Enzo [Maresca], who I know well and he will provide something different to the club.”
Enzo Maresca is now in charge of Manchester City – who will face Arsenal in Sunday’s (16.08.26) Community Shield – and Mikel thinks he has what it takes to do an “unbelievable job” with the side.
He said: “What I know is that he has the personality, the character and knowledge to do an unbelievable job. That is why he has been selected, because they could have picked anybody but they went with Enzo for the right reasons.
“He has demonstrated that at every level, in the Championship and what he has done when he has been at Chelsea and now here. I have no doubt he will do a good job.”
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