‘Disaster’: The reason Arteta regrets Rangers exit timing
Mikel Arteta, who thrived on the “survive or die” mentality around the Rangers, has acknowledged that he would have preferred to stay rather than leave the team after just two seasons.
The current manager of Arsenal left Barcelona to join Rangers in March 2002, having made an impression while on loan at Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League encounter against the Scottish powerhouses.
Arteta acknowledged that he would have preferred to sign a long-term contract with PSG, but Rangers took advantage of the impasse and the Spanish midfielder went on to win a domestic double in his debut campaign in Glasgow.
He scored goals in each of the Light Blues’ first six games, ensuring a brilliant start to his second year.
In the end, he would move for £4.4 million to join Real Sociedad, however he believes that he jumped ship for the wrong reasons.
“It was there, in Paris, for a year and a half. Everything went really smoothly. I had to make an early call when Barcelona couldn’t come to an agreement, even though I wanted to stay there,” he said to BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We had to travel to Glasgow after our UEFA Cup match against Rangers. When I went there and saw it for the first time, I was like, “Wow, I’ve never seen an atmosphere like this.” Take a look at these folks’ passions.
“Immediately following that game, they came in for me. My sole need is that my family must be reunited; else, I remarked, perhaps this is an opportunity. I suggested that because we haven’t been together in a while, we should get together. Let’s visit Glasgow for a unique experience. We all relocated to the BBC when my sister obtained a job there.
It was a very difficult game of entirely different football. In that situation, you have to either live or die. I experienced a fantastic club, an enthralling setting, a magnificent city, and games that I will never forget. Other realms become accessible. When I went there, it felt like a whole other universe.
“Scottish manager Alex McLeish has entirely different approaches and concepts. He had a separate conversation regarding the game. I accepted that I would have to adjust to the situation and travelled to stadia in Scotland, where the surface, style, and weather are all extremely different. Positive things have a different worth. I found it to be incredibly healthful as well. That improved the player.”
In 2004, Arteta made the decision to leave Ibrox and sign with Real Sociedad in an attempt to keep his parents from divorcing.
However, the midfielder only made 15 appearances for the Basque team, making it something of a “disaster”.
He went on, “I felt really bad. I wasn’t sure if attempting to follow my dream and myself was the reason for that. I take a lot of responsibility for that.
“I never thought that going back to Spain was the best decision, but I felt obligated to do so in order to reunite with my parents and my relatives. It was a catastrophe. That was never the way it worked. I never felt at all connected.”
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