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One of the first players to take Arteta under his wing was Pochettino, whom the Spaniard described as his “big brother” and “football father”.
The Argentine, 10 years his senior, arrived in January 2001 after leaving La Liga side Espanyol and formed a close bond with his new team-mate as they shared a hotel for the first three months of their time in Paris.
According to Pochettino, Arteta’s leadership skills were evident from the start.
“He was already a coach,” he said of his former PSG colleague in 2023. “He was mentoring me and others. – character, personality, charisma. He already had a football brain.”
Arteta was tasked by manager Luis Fernandez – who had already tried to sign the teenager while in charge of Athletic Club in Bilbao – with orchestrating play from a deep midfield position, a role he filled with a confidence and maturity that belied his age.
“Fernandez asked him to play simply and provide a platform for more creative talents like Okocha and he did it brilliantly,” French football expert Matt Spiro told BBC Sport.
“Arteta was a quiet man but already showed the determination we see in him. Like most Barcelona players he was technically excellent, but the most surprising and impressive aspect of his game given his age was his tactical awareness.”
Arteta made 11 appearances before the end of the campaign, scoring his first PSG goal in a 2–2 draw with Lille on the final weekend of the season. Despite his good start, however, Fernandez’s side ended that term in inauspicious fashion.
After a 4–0 loss to Auxerre in the fourth round of the French Cup – Arteta’s debut for the club – they finished bottom of their second round group in the Champions League and only had a top half finish on the final day of the season.
But good times were just around the corner.
