Serge Gnabry recalls Mikel Arteta’s leadership before Bayern face Arsenal
The Bayern Munich winger said his former Arsenal teammate helped younger players and was a leader in the dressing room as their clubs prepare to meet in the Champions League.
Serge Gnabry praised Mikel Arteta’s leadership at Arsenal on Tuesday, 20 October, ahead of Bayern Munich’s scheduled Champions League match against Arteta’s team at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The Bayern winger, who played alongside Arteta at Arsenal, said his former teammate had helped younger players and was already a leader in the dressing room.
What Gnabry said about Arteta at Arsenal
‘He was certainly a leader within our team back then. He was the captain during the season we played together,’ Gnabry told reporters, according to AFP. Gnabry said Arteta shared advice and was approachable. The recollection gives Wednesday’s meeting a personal dimension: the former teammates now represent opposing clubs, with Arteta coaching Arsenal and Gnabry playing for Bayern.
101 Great Goals, in a report by Jon Fisher, also quoted Gnabry describing Arteta’s attention to younger Arsenal players. Gnabry recalled that Arteta spoke with him and Héctor Bellerín and ‘always had an open ear for us.’ He linked that experience to his view of Arteta’s character, while praising the job his former teammate has done as a coach.
Gnabry told reporters it was ‘strange’ to face a team coached by someone he had played alongside, AFP reported. He called the match against his former club special, saying he had spent many years at Arsenal and had grown up there from the age of 16. His comments concerned the fixture ahead; neither report described a match result.
Bayern Munich’s meeting with Arsenal
Bayern are due to host Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, 21 October. Gnabry’s admiration for Arteta does not change his aim for the game. ‘We want to win, that’s what it’s all about,’ he said, according to 101 Great Goals. He also said he was looking forward to facing Arsenal because of his history with the club.
Gnabry described Arteta’s later development as a coach in terms of his own memories of him as a teammate. ‘It’s not that we saw it coming, but he’s clearly developed further and has done a fantastic job,’ he said, according to AFP. For Gnabry, the reunion brings together the player who once offered him guidance at Arsenal and the manager he must now face with Bayern.
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Sources and context
- Arsenal coach Arteta always a leader, says former teammate GnabryAFP, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Ex-Arsenal winger Gnabry eager to shine for Bayern Munich against former mentor Arteta101 Great Goals (by Jon Fisher)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.