The Arsenal boss will lock horns with his Tottenham counterpart on Sunday evening for the first north London derby of the season.
Mikel Arteta believes Jose Mourinho deserves respect for all he’s accomplished and highlighted the Portuguese’s winning mentality as his standout quality.
The Arsenal manager will face his Tottenham counterpart for only the second time of his relatively short coaching career on Sunday and is eager to nail a result, especially in light of the club’s recent struggles for form.
Mourinho, on the other hand, is aiming to win silverware for the sixth different club of his career. The 57-year-old has won league titles in four different nations and four European titles, including two Champions League crowns.
He is now tasked with ending Spurs’ 12-year wait for a trophy and appears bang on target, with the club in the thick of the Premier League title battle.
Now Arteta, who worked under Mourinho briefly as a Barcelona youth player during the Spurs boss’ spell as an assistant at Camp Nou, has praised him.
“I know him well,” said the Gunners coach as quoted on FourFourTwo.
“We spent some time together in Barcelona and obviously we’ve played against each other a million times.
“I admire him, I think what he’s done in the game is incredible, it’s remarkable.
“He has a unique character and personality.
“He’s someone that I think in football we have to appreciate and admire.
“Me, as a young coach, I know what it takes to be sitting where we are and the way he’s done it in different countries takes a lot of guts.
“He’s brave and then he has an edge to be able to transmit a mentality to everyone to keep winning.
“That mentality for me is what makes him really special.”
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