Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he was surprised to learn Thomas Tuchel had been sacked by Chelsea.
Former Champions League winner Tuchel was shown the door after a meeting with owner Todd Boehly on Wednesday, having overseen a surprise European defeat at Dinamo Zagreb the previous evening. Arteta was asked about the news on Wednesday as he prepared his own team for the start of their European campaign, with Arsenal up against FC Zurich in their Europa League opener.
Arteta himself has been under pressure at times during his tenure, having taken over in north London back in December 2019. Things are looking rosier for him now, with Arsenal sitting top of the Premier League, but the news served as a reminder of how quickly things can change for a manager.
"I was [surprised], yes," Arteta told the media as he prepared his team for their Thursday night match in Switzerland. "It was right before training when we got the news.
"It is always sad for any colleague in this profession to get fired. Unfortunately, we know how this works. Wish him the best of luck.
"It makes me realise that we have a profession that, in a big percent this is going to happen. We have to prepare for it and we have to enjoy the journey and we have to enjoy every day because you never know what’s coming."
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Tuchel's sacking came off the back of a run of just seven wins in Chelsea's last 16 league games, as well as the disappointment in Europe. The period also included five defeats, including a 4-2 reverse at home to Arsenal in April as the Blues limped to a top-four finish.
They still finished five points ahead of Arteta's men, though, with Tottenham also pipping the Gunners to a top four finish, meaning the Spaniard is now preparing his team for Europa League - not Champions League - football. As well as FC Zurich, the Gunners have to contend with Bodo/Glimt and PSV Eindhoven in a challenging group.
“This is a competition that we want to take very seriously against an opponent that is going to make life difficult for us,” Arteta said ahead of the game in Switzerland. “So we want to start the competition in the right way and maintain our momentum.
"The biggest danger is that they [Zurich] haven’t got the results that they probably expected after the season they had last year. You can see how willing they are to win football matches and this is a different competition with a different context. I expect a team that will be very ready.”
