Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has long been compared to characters from eccentric films due to his unusual and sometimes absurd motivational methods. Legends have already emerged in the football world about his passionate speeches while holding light bulbs, broadcasting the noise from Anfield's stands through speakers during training, and even hiring actors to stage a robbery of his own players for team bonding.
A new book by Sam Dean, Arsenal: The Inside Story of Mikel Arteta’s Revival, reveals another incredible chapter from the collection of tricks used by the Spanish coach. It describes an incident before the victorious derby against Tottenham (3:1) in the 2022/23 season, when the coach demonstrated his 'telepathic' abilities to the team.
In the hotel before the match, Arteta proposed a wager: the players were to secretly choose one teammate and hide a small item in their boot, while the coach's task was to guess both the person and the item. The prize was a lavish family dinner at a restaurant, which Arteta promised to pay for out of his own pocket if he lost, whereas if he won, the whole team would cover the cost.
While the coach was outside, the players hid a tiny object in the boot of defender Gabriel Magalhães. Upon returning, the Spaniard carefully studied the behaviour, gestures, and glances of the players, and then correctly identified the Brazilian defender. The team was left in absolute shock, convinced of their coach's supernatural gift.
Of course, there was no magic involved. In the dressing room after the triumph over the Spurs, Arteta revealed the secret with a laugh: he had simply observed the process through hidden cameras in the hotel. Nevertheless, this prank inspired the team so much and made them believe in the impossible that they stepped onto the pitch and performed a genuine miracle by thrashing their bitter rivals.
