The Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has picked Rafael Nadal as his idol following Pep Guardiola’s confession of admiring Julia Roberts
When asked to name the person he admires most, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta chose tennis legend Rafael Nadal as his number one idol.
He even made a joke, expressing his hope that Nadal chooses to attend an Arsenal game rather than one of their rivals, Tottenham.
Arteta’s response came in the wake of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola revealing that Hollywood star Julia Roberts was one of his idols.
Arteta relishes the chance to have a big European night at the Emirates
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 second leg against Sporting CP, Arteta said: “Off the top of my head, Nadal is someone I’ve admired for a long, long time.
“His mentality, what he’s won, the way he’s done it, the way he’s bounced back – he’s top of my list for sure.”
Guardiola shared that Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan were his other idols. He also jokingly expressed his disappointment that Julia Roberts chose to visit Manchester United when she visited the city seven years ago, as he is a manager of their fierce rivals, Manchester City.
With their previous match against Sporting ending in a 2-2 draw, Arsenal’s attention has now shifted to the Europa League and the upcoming home match against Sporting.
Despite the match taking place just before their final league match against Crystal Palace before the international break, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is excited about playing in front of a large home crowd in a European competition and does not view it as a distraction.
“We haven’t had a big European night for three years,” he said. “Hopefully it will be a really good atmosphere and we can enjoy it.
“We know Sporting are a good team and they’ll provide a challenge.”
