Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lauded Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique on Monday, ahead of their highly anticipated Champions League match at Emirates Stadium.
The fixture, set for Tuesday, marks the second round of games in the revamped competition and brings together two of Europe’s most prominent clubs.
Arteta, who recently expressed admiration for Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, spoke warmly of Enrique, another influential Spanish coach. The two share a history dating back to their time at Barcelona in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“I am a huge admirer of him,” Arteta said during a pre-match press conference. “I remember his personality, huge character, huge energy, very supportive of his young players. What I love about him is that wherever he has been, as a player or as a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place.”
Arteta emphasized Enrique’s impact on PSG, stating, “You can see it’s his team. You can see PSG is his team.”
The Arsenal manager highlighted Enrique’s “unbelievable power” and approach to life and profession as sources of inspiration. “It’s something to really look at and I learnt a lot of things from him,” Arteta added.
PSG enters the match leading the French league with five wins and a draw from six games. They began their Champions League campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Girona, secured by a 90th-minute own goal.
Arsenal, meanwhile, started their Champions League journey with a 0-0 draw at Atalanta. Arteta confirmed that the fitness of fullbacks Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori would be assessed on Monday.
The match presents a significant test for both teams’ European ambitions. Arsenal, returning to the Champions League after a six-year absence, aims to make a statement against the French champions.
As the soccer world turns its attention to this marquee matchup, the mutual respect between Arteta and Enrique adds an intriguing subplot to what promises to be a tactically rich encounter.
