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Mikel Arteta revealed he called Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before leading Arsenal to victory against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Arteta spent four years working as Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad and he said he phoned his mentor before the biggest achievement of his coaching career on Wednesday night.
There have been tensions between Arsenal and Manchester City in recent seasons while both teams have challenged for the Premier League title, but Arteta said he wanted to show his appreciation.
“I called him this morning because I am here thanks to him,” Arteta said after Arsenal’s win 2-1, which capped a resounding 5-1 victory over the Champions League holders.
“As a player and a coach he has been an inspiration to me. I had four amazing years with him, and I will always be grateful to him.”
Former Barcelona player and manager Guardiola would have enjoyed the sight of Real Madrid being knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
But Arsenal’s challenge does not get any easier in the semi-finals and they will face Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the Munich final as they look to win the competition for the first time.
And Arteta said momentum is with the Gunners following their victory at the Bernabeu. “We are ready to compete against anybody,” he said. “And now we have to continue to do that because we have some momentum now.
"We are in the semi-final for only the third time in our history, and I am proud of the manner and the way we did it. Not only by the way we played, but also with the circumstances and the amount of injuries we have had.
"It was my first time as a coach in this dugout, and I realised after three minutes that in this stadium, anything is possible.
“They are the specialists of creating chaos and belief. But my players showed their own maturity and it is a night to be very proud of."
English (US) ·