After lifting the Emirates FA Cup following his team’s triumph over Chelsea at Wembley stadium on Saturday, Mikel Arteta delivered a clear message to the Arsenal fans:
“It’s a great start!” he said. “Thank you so much for being so supportive all the time and for the reception I got on the first day when I walked through this incredible door.
“I completely understood that the needs of this football club are so high and I want to meet those demands. I know that there are expectations and this trophy is for them, for them to enjoy and for them to be proud of their club and their support and the players that they always cheer for.
“Hopefully they can enjoy it together and maintain the distance, please. I want them to enjoy it because it’s all yours and it’s only the start!” he said.
“I had only one mission when I came here and it was to make the players and the staff believe that we could do it,’ he added. “We had to change that energy and that mentality.
“Just by seeing them in the dressing room all together, the way they enjoy the professionalism and their time together… it makes me more proud and it’s a consequence of that, that afterwards we can achieve things and win titles together.”