Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's stunning UEFA Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid. The Gunners won the second leg 2-1 to win 5-1 overall on aggregate
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Courtesy of UEFA
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Courtesy of UEFA
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good evening, everyone. Hope everyone's well.
00:02We'll kick off with some questions in English, then we'll go to Spanish.
00:05Raise your hand and we'll come to you.
00:07We'll kick off with Dharmesh from Sky Sports.
00:13Mikel, congratulations.
00:16Have you ever felt prouder than you are now of your players?
00:20Probably not.
00:22Not only because we are in the semi-final for the third time in our history,
00:27but as well for the manner and the way we did it,
00:30not only by the way we played,
00:32but as well with the circumstances and the amount of injuries that we have.
00:36So I think overall it shows the character of this team, of this club,
00:40and it's an eye to be very proud of.
00:43Alex from the BBC.
00:45Mikel, congratulations.
00:46A great performance from the whole team,
00:48because have a word on Declan Rice,
00:50another excellent performance from him again today.
00:52Yeah, I can talk to him.
00:53Obviously, he's been decisive in the tie today in a different way.
00:56I think it was immense, his presence, the power that he showed,
00:59how composed he was without the ball.
01:02I think he left the team in many moments
01:05and turned the game in our favour.
01:07And I think that's what you need, players at this level,
01:10to step up and have big contribution,
01:12and he certainly is on that.
01:14Sam from Daily Telegraph.
01:15Hi, Mikel.
01:16Hi.
01:17We spoke a lot before this tie about belief and conviction.
01:20What does this performance this week and last week do for your team,
01:23looking at this tournament and the next few years?
01:26But the feeling that we had is a reality, basically.
01:30And the inner feeling that I had before the tie.
01:33And while the players were transmitting
01:36and how prepared I could feel the team that we are ready,
01:40we are ready to compete against anybody.
01:42And now we have to continue to do that
01:44because I think we have some momentum now.
01:47James, Athletic.
01:49Hi, Mikel.
01:50Hi.
01:51You never played down the stakes of this game.
01:53You always said it's a big challenge, a big test.
01:56Having come through that, do you think that a result like this
01:59can help your team make that final step
02:01to go from becoming challengers to winners?
02:04Can this give them the fuel and the belief that they need?
02:08Well, it's certainly another massive step.
02:11Where we finished last year
02:13and the way we've done it this year
02:15against the team with the highest honours
02:18and their competition, it's incredible.
02:21But as well, big credit to them.
02:23You know, it was my first time as a coach in that dugout.
02:27And today I realise after three minutes
02:29that in this stadium anything is possible.
02:32I mean, they are a specialist of creating such a chaos,
02:35such a belief.
02:36And it's very difficult to understand really
02:38what's going on in the game
02:40and have certain certainty about how we control it.
02:43But I think the players showed a lot of maturity.
02:46Oli?
02:47Hi, Mikel.
02:48Hi.
02:49What does that say about the character of Saka
02:52that he missed that penalty in the way he missed it?
02:56And then he came back and scored a crucial goal for you?
02:59I can go on and on with individuals
03:01and a lot of different cases that we had in that team.
03:04But with Bukayo again, he stepped up.
03:07He didn't score, obviously.
03:09That could be a turning point emotionally in the game
03:11because it gives them a lot of belief.
03:13But then the way he handled the situation,
03:15the way he played afterwards
03:16and the personality that he showed at his age,
03:19the first time that he played in this stadium, incredible.
03:22Yes, sir?
03:24Hi, Mikel.
03:25What do you think tonight shows in terms of the evolution of Arsenal?
03:28If we asked you five years ago
03:29that you'd be in the Champions League semi-final
03:32after two, like against Real Madrid,
03:34you would have pitted someone's hand off.
03:36So, yeah.
03:37What would you make of that evolution?
03:38Well, that it's been quite fast before
03:40because it wasn't possible to be in any round
03:43because the club was in the Champions League for seven years.
03:46So, that shows you the turn around
03:48and a lot of great decisions that the club has made
03:51and the contribution for a lot of people to be where we are.
03:54And it's a team that you can feel today,
03:56how hungry, how determined and the ambition that has got.
03:59So, we're going for more for sure.
04:01James, yes, go.
04:02Hi, Mikel. Congratulations.
04:05I know you want the focus to be on the players,
04:07but for you as a manager,
04:08what belief does this give you,
04:11the work that you do, vindicate your methods?
04:14What does it do for you personally?
04:16Well, it's reassuring
04:18and I'm here to experience these kind of games
04:21and to go through them.
04:23I know that sometimes you're going to win,
04:24sometimes you're going to lose.
04:25So, be very critical with yourself tonight.
04:27There are things that we can still do much better
04:30and I have to help the team to do better.
04:32But the biggest pride is when I look at them
04:36and I talk to them how convinced they feel.
04:38And that's a big part of our job.
04:40I know the coaches and that's why it's a joy to work with them.
04:44Okay.
04:45And Mikel from...
04:46Hi, Mikel. Congratulations.
04:48You mentioned the turning point of the penalty there
04:50and the chaos and how difficult it was to control again.
04:53Did you prepare your players for that mentally?
04:55But what happens if it's not going as you expect
04:57or if there is the turn that this stadium can be famous for?
05:01Yes, and we had certain tools to try to do that.
05:04But actually, to do it when it's live,
05:06you realise how bloody difficult it is, you know.
05:09But I think we've done it and we've done it in many moments
05:12in a really clever way.
05:14Because the game can drive you to a scenario that against them,
05:18you know, they are not good at all.
05:21And we were very clear on how we have to get out of that
05:24and we managed to do it.
05:26Okay, we do the last two questions in English
05:28and then we'll go to Spain.
05:29Tom from Football London.
05:30Hi, Mikel. Congratulations.
05:32A week ago, your team created an amazing atmosphere with the fans.
05:35Here, you arguably created one of the best away atmospheres.
05:38A word on the performance of the people behind the players, the fans.
05:42Yes, incredible.
05:43And thank you so much.
05:44All the supporters that have been with us in this journey
05:47in Madrid, around the hotel,
05:49and feeling that belief and support towards them.
05:52I think it's the purpose of our job to make our people happy,
05:55hopefully they feel very proud about the players and the team.
05:59And now, let's go for more.
06:01Phil Pia.
06:02Hi, Mikel.
06:03Arsenal have obviously become the first team to win here twice.
06:06Just a word on that and what that means.
06:08And also, just, you know, you and the players starting to dream
06:12that this could be the year that Arsenal win the Champions League.
06:14I didn't know that it's that before.
06:16So, great to be part of the history in that part.
06:21But again, we are really happy tonight.
06:24Certainly not satisfied.
06:26We have an amazing tie now against PSG, a team that we know really well
06:30and we have already played against.
06:32So, let's start to get prepared for that one.
06:34Okay, we'll take some questions in Spanish.
06:36First, Cadena Ser.
06:37Hola, Mikel.
06:38Muy buenas noches.
06:39Soy Anton Meana, en directo en el Alguero de la Cadena Ser.
06:41Enhorabuena.
06:42Gracias.
06:43Desconozco si el partido se ha jugado como usted lo imaginĂł.
06:46Porque desde fuera daba la sensaciĂłn que el Arsenal ha dominado casi en todo momento,
06:50lo que se puede dominar un partido en el Bernabéu, pero que han jugado muy bien.
06:54No sĂ© si es lo que usted tenĂa en mente esta mañana en el hotel.
06:57En algunos momentos sĂ, pero tengo que ser muy sincero.
07:00Es la primera vez que estoy en ese banquillo y hoy me he dado cuenta de por qué en este
07:05estadio puede pasar cualquier cosa.
07:07La capacidad en que tienen de creer, de generar caos, de generar una incertidumbre temenda,
07:13de no poder controlar ciertos espacios y que las cosas vayan pasando.
07:17Pero es verdad que hemos sabido salir de ahĂ.
07:19Hemos sabido salir de ahĂ.
07:20Un equipo que no habĂa tenido ninguna experiencia en esto
07:23y en muchos momentos sĂ hemos sido el equipo que tenĂa en la cabeza.
07:28¿Qué tal, Mikel?
07:29AquĂ Oscar Maya para la Agencia EFE.
07:31QuerĂa preguntarte por el impacto de Mikel Merino en todo el plan de tu equipo.
07:34En la ida marcĂł un gol y habĂa dos resistencias clave que ha dejado uno contra uno a los compañeros.
07:39Preguntarte por cómo se ha gesto ese cambio al 9 y qué supone para ti dentro del equipo.
07:43Ya lo tenĂamos pensado lo del 9.
07:45No.
07:46Que se ha adaptado, que es un fenĂłmeno.
07:48Que nos ha dado algo que este equipo no tenĂa.
07:50Ese liderazgo, esa capacidad de entender el juego, de ocupar espacios que para los rivales son muy difĂciles
07:58y luego una capacidad de trabajo abismal.
08:01De hecho, hoy creo otra vez merece un crédito enorme porque le estamos pidiendo hacer cosas que él nunca ha hecho
08:06y lo está haciendo de una manera absolutamente increĂble.
08:09MĂster, por acá, Eduardo Villar para HSM Deportes declarĂł en el postpartido que esta es una de las noches más importantes en su carrera.
08:17Yo le querĂa preguntar quĂ© fue lo primero que se le pasĂł por la cabeza cuando vio que el partido habĂa finalizado
08:22y segundo, si en estos pocos minutos que ha tenido se ha dado cuenta del impacto que ha tenido en la historia del Arsenal.
08:28Gracias.
08:29Lo primero, en mi mujer, mis hijos y mi familia.
08:32Porque sĂ© cĂłmo han estado estos dĂas.
08:34Porque sé que escuchando todo el rumrum de lo que se puede pasar y si pasa, y si pasa, y si pasa.
08:40Y hoy estaban aquà y creo que están felices y orgullosos y me alegro mucho por ellos.
08:46Y a partir de ahĂ luego eso, los jugadores, verles que cuando sientes que son capaces y luego lo hacen,
08:52que no hay retribuciĂłn mejor para un entrenador.
08:54Y luego ver a la gente que ha venido a vernos aquĂ, lo orgullosos que están del equipo.
08:58Y eso, el hambre que hay alrededor del club para seguir haciendo cosas mucho más grandes.
09:04¿Qué tal, Miquel? Juan Movadilla para Notisports. Enhorabuena lo primero.
09:09Gracias.
09:10¿Qué se te ha pasado por la cabeza en ese momento en el que Saka ha fallado el penalti al inicio del partido?
09:14Si, bueno, querĂas regañarle, si querĂas morirte, ÂżcĂłmo lo veĂas?
09:19Hasta ese punto no hemos llegado, pero darle un cachete igual.
09:23Al final el jugador tiene que tomar la decisiĂłn de hacer lo que cree que es lo mejor.
09:29Y hasta ha tomado esa decisiĂłn, ha tenido el coraje de hacerlo, ha fallado.
09:33Estaba más preocupado por la parte emocional, por lo que iba a suponer para nosotros eso.
09:38Después es el penalti, que al final lo anulan también.
09:41Y ahĂ el partido puede haber cambiado porque se notaba que se estaba generando algo
09:45que en ese momento no era bueno para nosotros.
09:48Ok, final dos preguntas.
09:49Primero iré y luego volvemos a Goyen.
09:51Hola, Miquel. FermĂn de La Calle del PeriĂłdico. Enhorabuena por la clasificaciĂłn.
09:55Yo querĂa preguntarte, el otro dĂa nos dijiste que habĂas hablado con Guardiola
09:58antes del partido de ida.
09:59Y querĂa preguntarte si has hablado con Ă©l o con otros entrenadores
10:02que han pasado por aquĂ de cara a este partido para prepararlo.
10:05SĂ, lo he llamado yo esta mañana.
10:08Pero porque creo que si estoy aquĂ es en gran parte por Ă©l.
10:14Primero porque para mĂ como jugador y entrenador fue una inspiraciĂłn
10:17y luego porque fue la persona que decidiĂł apostar por mĂ, por meterme en su cuerpo tĂ©cnico
10:23y por vivir cuatro años maravillosos al lado de él.
10:27Y creo que es un agradecimiento que le voy a tener para siempre y si no, probablemente no estarĂa aquĂ sentado.
10:32Ok.
10:33Finalmente por el turno.
10:35Hola, Miquel. SĂ, lo de Iliario InglĂ©s de Guardian.
10:38Es un poco de la importancia de la parcela mental, digamos, anĂmica y sobre todo lo que acabas de decir
10:44es que en este estadio pasan cosas que incluso pensándolos no te lo imaginabas.
10:49Entonces, ÂżcĂłmo explicas que el equipo haya sido capaz de salir de estos momentos complicados?
10:55Y no sé si eso habla por encima de todo de una madurez y de una inteligencia, ¿no?
10:59Porque los dos partidos no han sido iguales.
11:01Por manera de jugar han sido dos partidos muy inteligentes pero de maneras distintas, Âżno?
11:06Bueno, primero intentar identificar cuando pasan esos momentos qué está pasando en el juego
11:11y a partir de ahĂ erradicarlo.
11:13Y creo que habĂa momentos que hemos sido capaces de pararlo para que no pasara de manera más consistente y habitual.
11:20Y después de nada, disfrutar esos momentos.
11:23Si queremos estar en las semifinales vamos a tener que pasar más los ratos jugando en este estadio.
11:27Hay que disfrutarlos y hay que entender qué están pasando para entonces poder salir de ellos.
11:32Y creo que el equipo lo ha hecho de una manera muy inteligente.
11:36Ok. Thank you everyone. Good night.
11:38Thank you. Gracias.