‘I still have the scar’ – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on defeat to PSG in Champions League final

‘I still have the scar’ – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on defeat to PSG in Champions League final It’s still a bitter pill to swallow – and that’s certainly a blessing in disguise. Having had his contract as Arsenal manager extended on Wednesday until 2030, Mikel Arteta gave a lengthy interview to The Athletic to mark the occasion. Among other things, this gave the Spanish manager the chance to reflect on the pain of his team’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (1-1, 4-3 a.e.t.). “I still have the scar, as Arsène says,” revealed Arteta, referring to the words of the Gunners’ legendary manager Arsène Wenger, who described the most painful defeats as “scars on his heart” . It is a wound that the man who, last season, guided Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League for the first time since 2004, does not want to see disappear. Or at least not just yet. “I still have that poison in my veins,” he explained. “It has to stay there because that’s when you learn, and that’s probably going to be a massive driving force for me and everyone else.” Second only to Manchester City, with 12 points from 15, in the Premier League, Arsenal have made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign, beating Napoli 1-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. GFFN | Léo Aschi