MED-ART-ATION
Arsenal’s Mr Angry says he tries THIS to calm himself down before games
MIKEL ARTETA has revealed that he meditates to prepare for the cut and thrust of Premier League football.
Arteta has a reputation as one of the most intense and temperamental managers in the top flight. But the Spaniard spends time before games in meditation to steady the rollercoaster of emotions top-level gaffers endure.
The Arsenal boss said: “It is very necessary. I have moments during my day when I do certain things to bring everything down.
“Your brain goes 100mph and you cannot see the picture with clarity – you need to calm things down sometimes. There are ways to do it – with your family, sometimes with meditation.
“There are a lot of things that you need. You need holidays, days off, time away from your phone. But the temptation is always to do more.
“I would do meditation in the afternoon, yes. Reading. I love reading, sitting there and reading about a topic that can inspire you to prepare for a game or develop a thought that you have on the day.”
Arteta has got himself into trouble on the touchline for being too excitable (below) and has already served a one-game ban this season.
The Spaniard used to watch Arsene Wenger work when he played under him at Arsenal (below) but the job has grown even more demanding.
The 41-year-old is obsessed with stats and preparation, which means he finds it difficult to switch off.
Reading and meditation are his way of making sure he is mentally fresh.
Arteta added: “I used to speak with Arsene and he took his job like we all do, we put so many hours of our lives into it. It is extremely demanding.
“I love it but I am young and still have a lot of energy.
“Every day there is a rollercoaster of emotions you have to go through. You have to try to inspire people, to impact people, sometimes to calm down people, to motivate people. You have to deal with things you just can’t control.
“On top of that, there are opponents, the need to get results, and a lot of things that are difficult to manage on a daily basis. But our energy source comes from how much we love the game, the passion we have for what we do. When you have an emotional relationship with a club, that is another energy source.
“You wake up every day and you want to face that challenge, you want to be better, you want to be more competitive. It is a lot every single day. That is why you need good people around you to support you.”
Arsenal tonight travel to Nottingham Forest, who they beat 2-1 on the second weekend of the season. It is only the third game the Gunners have played in January. They lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup on January 7 and beat Crystal Palace 5-0 on January 20.