Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed he broke down in tears when Mikel Arteta left his coaching role at Manchester City for the manager's position at Arsenal in December 2019. The pair's relationship was so strong that the Spanish head coach felt compelled to bring the Ukraine international with him to north London in the summer of 2022, with this move proving a key component of Arsenal's subsequent Premier League title tilt.
Reflecting on their time together in Manchester, Zinchenko confessed to his emotions getting the better of him when the Spaniard vacated his role. "I remember when Mikel was leaving City, I didn't hold my emotions. I couldn't because this guy was so special to me," he told the Daily Mail.
"He taught me a lot, as a human being he was incredible and the way he was working with us young players after every single training session, the advice he was giving everyone, was something incredibly important for me."
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