Mikel Arteta: “I wrecked the Arsenal office on day one”

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, looked back on his first day at the club with an anecdote that bordered on chaos. He said he “destroyed the office” and “put everything on the floor”, naming computers, laptops and cables.

Speaking to The Athletic, he then brought everyone in and delivered the point: if they wanted to enjoy their profession and the passion around it, they had to be ready to work together. “That could have been the end of my managerial career,” he added, before returning two minutes later to find everyone silent—eyes open and ready to listen.