This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
On December 20, 2019, Mikel Arteta was appointed as the head coach of Arsenal, marking a significant change in the club's fortunes.
At 37, Arteta is a seasoned footballer who played over 100 games for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016. He has now signed a three-and-a-half-year contract, ending his three-year stint as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.
Arteta will be officially presented to the press later on the same day, replacing compatriot Unai Emery, who was sacked last month.
"This is a huge honour. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world," Arteta said in a statement.
Head of football Raul Sanllehi stated that the club had interviewed other candidates before opting to pursue Arteta, whose appointment took longer to announce due to finalising compensation to City, reportedly £2 million.
"We met several top-class candidates and Mikel stood out to every single one of us as the perfect person for us," Sanllehi said in a club statement.
Arteta faces a massive challenge, with Arsenal having won just once in 12 matches, beating West Ham under interim manager Freddie Ljungberg.
Despite the top four being out of reach, with Arsenal seven points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, Arteta will have another route into the Champions League via the Europa League, with the Londoners facing Olympiakos in the last 32.
