Arteta mentioned that his interest in coaching began when he was 14 or 15 years old, during a training session at Barcelona. The coaches there taught him new ways of thinking about the game, which sparked his passion for coaching.

However, it was a turning point in his career at Everton that truly made him take coaching seriously. At the age of 26, he suffered a severe knee injury and tore his cruciate ligament. This forced him to re-evaluate his future in football and consider coaching as a viable option.

Arteta has credited Pep Guardiola as one of his most influential mentors. Guardiola had invited him to join him in England, but Arteta was hesitant due to his commitment to Arsenal as captain. Eventually, he made the move to Manchester with Guardiola, and it was a liberating experience for him.

After working with Guardiola, Arteta returned to Arsenal as manager in 2019. He was tasked with rebuilding the team and changing the club's culture. He acknowledged that the club was in a state of disarray, with a negative attitude and a blame culture.

Under Arteta's leadership, the team underwent significant changes and eventually began to flourish.