Arteta signs management contract until 2030

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By Tony Attwood

Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract with Arsenal lasting until 2030 – which, although expected, was still a relief since his existing contract would have ended at the end of this season.   There was never any thought that Arteta wanted to leave, but one never knows what club directors are liable to do.

Arsene Wenger is of course the club’s longest-serving manager in terms of years actually managing the league club.  That statement is necessary if one is being pedantic when looking at “longest serving” charts with Arsenal, for although George Allison for example, was manager between 28 May 1934 and 31 May 1947, his tenure obviously includes the period of the Second World War, when the club was effectively run out of a tiny room within Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium.  There were obviously no league games at that time, and the Highbury ground was taken over by the military for the duration of the war.  Tottenham were perhaps not as co-operative as Arsenal were in the reverse position in the 1st World War.

But in terms of number of games managed, Arteta is still some way down the list, and because that list ordered by number of games in charge is not often seen, I thought I would offer it here – but just for the top seven, in descending order (if you see what I mean).

In the following table, “trophies” includes the League, FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup, and Fairs Cup.  Managers are ordered by the number of games.

* I have not included Charity Shield and Community Shield totals as that represents just one game.

“We share a special bond with Mikel. We are so proud of everything we have achieved since he returned to the club in 2019,” co-chairmen Stan and Josh Kroenke said.

“He has a deep understanding of Arsenal‘s values and carries them in his heart. He knows what this club means to everyone connected to it and is committed to building on everything we have achieved together.”

With that in mind, there was never a sense that Arteta was preparing to walk away from the team he has built to become one of the best in European football.

So with a deal for their manager to stay now agreed, the foundation of Arsenal‘s recent revitalisation into a footballing force remains in place.

Does more history beckon with the boss staying even longer? It certainly looks as if Arteta is committed to finding out.  And that is one of the great benefits that a club like Arsenal has; it has a history that stretches back over 90 years.   Just imagine being the mangaer of Arsenal at the 100th anniversary of the first title – which means celebrating 100 yeas since Chapman and Norris dragged the club from nowhere to the very top.

Such is the intensity Arteta brings to the job that it remains to be seen whether he can last as long as Wenger, although there are few signs that operating in such a high-pressure environment has affected him physically.

The odd grey hair aside, he barely looks different from the day he was announced in his first managerial role. With the twin motivations of making Arsenal back-to-back league title winners for the first time since the 1930s and European champions after coming so close last season when they lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the final on penalties, Arteta appears to be here to stay.

But there is another key element – the youth programme.  Such is the intensity of the desire of the media to knock Arsenal; the success of the youth programme is never mentioned, although it is hard to ignore when Downman is on the pitch.