Arteta admits willingness to manage England someday
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has claimed that he would be open to managing the England national team in the future. The Football Association (FA) shocked many around the sport on Wednesday when they announced Thomas Tuchel as the next Three Lions manager.
The German is a top coach, but many fans and pundits in England were against the decision. Concerns were raised because of the fact that Tuchel is not English. Nevertheless, the organization opted to pick the best overall candidate for the position.
Arteta was asked about the situation on Friday during a regularly scheduled press conference. The Spaniard defended the FA’s decision and also claimed that he was not approached by the governing body regarding the job opening. However, he also admitted that while is not from England, he would be open to managing the national team some day.
“I’ll tell you right now, the feeling I have being here for 22 years,” stated Arteta. “I have that feeling towards it because I always feel respected, welcomed, and inspired by this country and the history of football and how you get treated daily. I think that’s something you should be really proud of.”
FIFA previously blocked Arteta from playing for England
Arteta previously left his native homeland in 2002 to join Scottish side Rangers on a permanent deal.
Although he did return to Spain with Real Sociedad two years later, the midfielder signed on with Everton in early 2005. Arteta remained on Merseyside until 2011, when he joined Arsenal.
As a player, Arteta represented Spain at various youth levels early in his career. However, the star midfielder never actually played a single game for the senior Spain team. Because of this, there were talks between Arteta and the England national team to flip his allegiance.
The discussions came when Fabio Capello was managing the Three Lions. Both sides hoped that Arteta could feature for England at the 2010 World Cup, but FIFA ultimately blocked the move.
While he never featured for England, Arteta claimed that he would have jumped at the opportunity. “I would have done it,” continued the coach. “I was very realistic, looking at the players Spain had at the time and how big a challenge I had. You need to know your level, that is very important. Look in the mirror. In the end, it didn’t happen. But it was good at least to think about it.”
Spanish coach may have to be patient to get England opportunity
Arteta may be open to managing England one day, but it may not come anytime soon. Tuchel, assuming the Three Lions do not completely fall apart, will be in charge through to the 2026 World Cup. The next major competition for England after the tournament in North America will be Euro 2028.
The Arsenal manager also recently signed a new contract extension with the Gunners in September. As Arteta is thought of extremely highly within the club, the Spaniard won’t leave Arsenal anytime soon. Along with a new three-year deal, Gunners brass also opted to give their manager a significant pay raise.
Photo credit: IMAGO / PanoramiC