The wound from Paris has not closed for Mikel Arteta. Arsenal’s manager has said the Champions League final defeat to PSG on 30 May still drives him, even after a Premier League title ended the club’s 22-year wait for the trophy.
Arsenal drew 1-1 with PSG before losing 4-3 on penalties in the final. Arteta, speaking in an interview published on Thursday, described the loss as a lasting mark on his career.
Quick facts
- Arsenal lost the Champions League final to PSG after a 1-1 draw and a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat.
- The final took place on 30 May.
- Arteta, 44, has extended his Arsenal contract until 2030.
- His Arsenal side ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.
The Spaniard echoed a phrase often used by his former manager Arsène Wenger, who spoke of major defeats leaving scars in the heart. Arteta said that feeling remains with him.
“I still carry that scar, as Arsène says,” Arteta said. “The poison is still in my veins, and it has to remain there. You learn in those moments, and it will probably be an important fuel for me and everyone else.”
Arteta had previously worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before taking charge at Arsenal. His new deal through 2030 follows a period in which he restored the London club to the summit of English football.
He called the Premier League triumph an occasion his players and staff would never forget, but insisted that it cannot be treated as a finishing line.
“It feels as if there is still so much left to do,” Arteta said. “This is only the beginning.”
