Jose Mourinho has a two-word nickname for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Back in 2019, Arteta got his first taste as a manager when he was appointed the new boss of Arsenal.
Having worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, many expected Arteta to take Arsenal back to glory.
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After two tough seasons, things are beginning to look good for the Spaniard as his Gunners side are currently challenging for the Premier League title.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Telegraph, Mourinho appears to have his own two-word nickname for Arteta.
The pair first met when Mourinho was working as an assistant coach at Barcelona in 1996, where Arteta was a fresh-faced teenager playing for the club’s academy.
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To date, Mourinho still refers to him as ‘The Kid’.
The Portuguese said: “I am happy because I like the kid.
“And I am happy everything goes for him. But the way they [Arsenal] played to get that point - and the way the media spoke about a magic strategy.”
He added: “In my time, it was not a magic strategy and I won at Manchester City a few times. But it was not an amazing strategy. It was a defensive game. Park the bus. Park the double bus. It was a different perspective.”
Speaking about his future, Mourinho explained: “What could really make a difference is how much the club wants me.
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“How much the club needs a person and a coach of my profile. And how much feeling, empathy I could feel with the structure.”
He continued: “The only thing I want is that the targets and the objectives have to be established by everyone in a fair way.
“I cannot go to a club where, because of my history, the objective is to win the title. No. The only thing I want is that it has to be fair.
“Do you think if I was at a big Premier League club and we were sixth, seventh, eighth, in the table, I still have a job? What I am saying is people [should] look at me the way they look at others. What is important for me is if the club has objectives and for me to be able to say I am ready to fight for these. I don’t want to say realistic, but [at least] semi-realistic. Because when I went to Roma nobody was dreaming about European Cup finals and we did it. It’s not possible I go to a club almost relegated and the objective is to win the Champions League. It’s good but it is not fair.”
Featured Image Credit: Vibe With Five/GettyTopics: Jose Mourinho, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, Football