Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's 'sad' admission he made over quitting club – 'I was suffering'

Mikel Arteta's full-scale revolution at is clear for all to see now.

The Gunners' of reigning European champions on Tuesday night was the most memorable night in the club's recent history.

It showcased exactly how, in the five-and-a-half years since took over as Arsenal's head coach, he has taken a struggling football club to the pinnacle of European football with back-to-back Champions League quarter-final appearances.

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The sweeping changes implemented by the Spaniard since his return to the Emirates Stadium in December 2019 have been felt throughout the club, from his innovative tactics and the incorporation of modern technology in training sessions, to fostering a winning mentality in various inventive ways.

However, Arteta also owes a great deal to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, under whom he honed his tactical acumen. The 43-year-old was appointed as an assistant coach at City by his former Barcelona idol, Guardiola, where he continually impressed the legendary manager with his insights.

His growing role contributed to the club's two Premier League triumphs, an FA Cup triumph and two EFL Cups, before being linked with a move back to his old club – Arsenal. Following Unai Emery's unsuccessful stint and subsequent dismissal, Arteta agreed to take the reins at N5 midway through the 2019/20 season.

The rest, as they say, is history, with Arteta’s Arsenal becoming one of City’s biggest domestic rivals over the past three seasons and surpassing them this term. However, Arteta revealed back when he first took the Gunners job that he was “sad” to have left City so abruptly, even going as far as to admit he “suffered” while making the bittersweet decision.

"Listen, the relationship between me and Pep is incredibly good," said the former Arsenal midfielder in 2020. “Obviously he was sad and the timing wasn't the best for him but he understood. He knows how I've been growing and the needs that I have emotionally, the ambitions that I had, and he kept giving me more and more and more over the years.

"If I had admiration for him before, after working with him I cannot explain how much of a nice person he is and what a professional he is. The way he reacted with me looking at my eyes, he knew that I was suffering because I was leaving in a moment where they need me a little bit as well, so I felt in that sense a little bit sad.

"But he's been so supportive, the same as Txiki [Begiristain], as Ferran [Soriano Compte] and Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] – I was on the phone with him yesterday.

"The terms that we left the relationship in, they could not be any better. I said goodbye to all the staff at the training ground yesterday, all the players, I cried because they've been my family for three and a half years and we've had incredible moments."

In the time that has passed since those comments, Arteta and Guardiola’s sides have enjoyed heated fixtures as Arsenal have become a major rival in the Premier League. City forward Erling Haaland most notably told the former to “stay humble” after a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium in September, exemplifying the tensions.

Yet the two managers, both brought up at La Masia, maintain a close friendship. Arteta admitted this week that he spoke to Guardiola days before the Real Madrid fixture, with his compatriot even giving him some tips.

“I have learned a lot from him,” Arteta explained. “From professional and personal situations. In the last few days, we’ve talked, because I felt like talking to him. And I think he also wanted to talk to me because he is very happy about the good things that happen to us.

“Learning from the best and those who have had experiences, I think it’s a thing smart people do. And I have been very lucky to have very good people who have helped me a lot.”

Guardiola reciprocated the sentiment prior to their most recent meeting in February, which Arsenal won 5-1, by calling their relationship “exceptional”. He added: "With him and his family. We're not in touch much because we have business but the respect that we have is always there."