Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta Remembers Transformative Loan Spell at PSG in 2001-02 | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League at Emirates Stadium. The Spanish tactician will also face his former club from his playing days.

Arteta spent one season on loan in the French capital for the 2001-02 season. The Spanish player was on loan from FC Barcelona and made 53 total appearances for the French giants, scoring five goals and recording five assists.

With the Parisians in North London for the clash, Arteta recalled the lone season in Paris, which included a star-studded squad that included Mauricio Pochettino, Ronaldinho, and Jay-Jay Okocha.

“It’s very special for me, mainly because of my deep gratitude toward this club,” Arteta said at his press conference (h/t Le10Sport). “It gave me the opportunity to play professionally for the first time, and I truly enjoyed my time there—the city, my teammates, and the coach I had. Coming back to face them is something really meaningful for me.

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“I wanted to stay there, but at that time, I was under contract with Barcelona, and they couldn’t reach an agreement. It was incredible—players like Ronaldinho, Anelka, Okocha, Pochettino, Gaby Heinze; they were all amazing. I wanted to stay, but I had to do something else because of my contract with Barcelona. I was very happy there and wanted to remain part of it, but I had to move on. That’s just how football works.”

Arteta wouldn’t stay long-term with PSG, as he returned to Barcelona once his loan stint was over. The midfielder would leave the Catalan side to join Rangers, where he played from 2002 to 2004. Eventually, Arteta would find his footing at Everton, playing from 2005 to 2011, and he’d move to Arsenal, playing from 2011 to 2016.