Arteta Reveals Inside Truth About Fellow Managers Maresca and Amorim's Premier League Battles
During a week when both Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim have confronted their clubs regarding authority issues and lost their positions as a result, Mikel Arteta has minimized the importance of his title transformation from head coach to manager during his initial season at Arsenal.
Maresca's authority dispute with Chelsea's executive team led to his abrupt departure on New Year's Day. Amorim was dismissed by Manchester United four days afterward following what seemed to be a comparable conflict at Old Trafford, though the club refuted that internal tensions were the cause.
Traditionally in English football, the "manager" held supreme authority, reporting to a chairman while essentially controlling the complete sporting operations. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger represented the final generation of all-powerful figures, before organizational structures shifted to mirror director of football or general manager-centered models preferred by European clubs or American sports franchises.
Amorim proclaimed himself a "manager" rather than a "head coach" during what became his last press conference with Manchester United on Sunday, having earlier suggested he was refused January transfers that he considered essential for implementing his 3-4-3 formation.
Arteta Elevated to Manager in 2020
Many would consider these two roles as identical. However, distinctions exist.
Amorim was introduced as Manchester United's new "head coach" upon his appointment in November 2024, a notably different designation from nearly every previous appointment in the club's 148-year history, who were exclusively titled "manager" except for head coach Wilf McGuinness in 1969.
Arteta joined Arsenal as "head coach" when he arrived in December 2019, but was officially elevated to "manager" status within nine months.
Arsenal stated then that "there is much more he can contribute" beyond simply training the first-team players, granting Arteta greater influence over additional matters and a stronger collaborative relationship with then-director of football Edu Gaspar and then-CEO Vinai Venkatesham.
Given that Maresca and Amorim felt limited by their job descriptions just over five years later, Arteta indicated the title change wasn't particularly significant to him, ultimately implying that interpersonal relationships among various stakeholders determine a team's success or failure.
"The situation was different when they suggested modifying the position and their thoughts about areas where I could contribute more than they initially anticipated," he shared during Wednesday's press conference, ahead of the Gunners' match against Liverpool this week.
"Ultimately it concerns relationships and individuals, as we have built excellent teams with diverse strengths and some who have excelled in particular areas, and when someone surpasses my abilities in that regard, I allow them to handle it.
"For me the designation doesn't truly represent how we function on a daily basis.
"I believe what matters more are the people and the mindset to genuinely recognize that we should provide each other with our areas of expertise to improve collectively, while supporting that philosophy in all other aspects."
Arteta: 'I Didn't Request Title Modification'
When questioned whether his promotion from head coach to manager boosted his confidence, Arteta confirmed it did. However, it wasn't something he had requested from the club.
"Yes, [it provided a confidence increase], because I didn't insist on it," he clarified.
"I didn't request it, and they felt it was the appropriate decision. But since then, working with different individuals through the organizational changes we've experienced in recent years, I believe when you have leadership from ownership, in this instance Stan [Kroenke] and Josh [Kroenke], with Josh being closely involved and maintaining clear alignment among all of us regarding objectives and methods, while creating space for everyone, it becomes very straightforward to operate this way."