Mikel Arteta Doesn’t Hold Back on PSG Manager Luis Enrique | OneFootball

The UEFA Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal is approaching, and both teams know they face a challenging task if they want to lift the biggest prize in European football.

PSG are looking to win back-to-back titles while the Gunners are eyeing their first Champions League trophy. The capital club’s 2025-26 Ligue 1 season is over, and all that’s left on their schedule is the contest against the Premier League side.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have two matches left, one on May 18 against Burnley and then on May 24 against Crystal Palace. As a result, the English will come into this contest having played games, while the French giants will be well rested.

Luis Enrique Gets Major Praise Ahead of UCL Final

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ahead of the PSG-Arsenal contest, the Gunners’ manager, Mikel Arteta, is being asked about facing Luis Enrique. Moreover, the two managers’ relationship dates back to before they were on the sidelines, as both have ties to FC Barcelona.

“Luis Enrique is really someone special,” Arteta said (h/t Le10Sport). “I met him when I was 16, when I was training with Barcelona’s first team, and he always took care of the young academy players. He always supported us [and] he is someone I first admired as a player and then, when you look at his coaching career; he is not just a coach who brings a lot tactically.

“He is the main character, with his charisma and the way he manages people. That is why he is unique. The way he stays convinced in what he does despite different opinions, he always remains faithful to his values, and I think that is a superpower. Of course, we have several people in common and we have faced each other several times. I have enormous respect for him, and I think what he is doing is remarkable.”

It will be interesting to see which of these two Spanish managers comes out on top later this month.