‘Nightmare’—Mikel Arteta Sent Withering Verdict From Former Premier League Referee

Mikel Arteta has had a complicated history with referees since he became Arsenal’s manager.

Mikel Arteta wears his emotions on his sleeve during games. | Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott catalogued Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the hardest manager to deal with in English soccer.

There’s no denying that the Spanish boss has done wonders at the helm of Arsenal, lifting them from mediocrity when he took over in 2019 to their first Premier League title in over two decades last season.

But Arteta has also earned a reputation of being a passionate and, at times, overly spirited manager on the touchline who isn’t afraid to let his feelings known to referees, whether it’s fourth officials, linesmen or match referees. Because of this, Scott told The Athletic that Arteta is the “hardest work” of any Premier League manager.

“Well, the trite answer is: all of them when they’re losing,” Scott said when asked who’s the most difficult manager to deal with. “The honest answer, I’m afraid—I know whatever I say at this point just gets me pelters—but it is Arteta. He is the hardest work.

Mikel Arteta isn’t afraid to give referees a piece of his mind. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

“He really does push all the limits, all of the time. I don’t mind that in many ways; he’s trying to get a competitive advantage for his team. That’s fine. That’s part of his job. And of course, he’s entitled to do it, and it’s for us to place them, but he does make your life extremely difficult.

“He’s out of his box all the time. I watched him recently in Arsenal’s game against Everton, and every time Everton had the ball anywhere near the touchline on his side, he was like joining in the press. His toes are on the touchline.

“As fourth official, it’s a nightmare, because if you step forward and do anything about it, you’re being pedantic, being petty. He does get away with rather too much. The officials do need to be a bit tighter. And I was one of them who let him do that. I’m not going to deny that.

“But he was just hard work. Really, really hard work all the time in a way that others tended to be hard work some of the time.”

---

Arteta Says It’s His ‘Duty’ to Call Out Referees

Mikel Arteta is always animated. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

It’s not only on the touchline that Arteta takes aim at referees. In the past, he’s described refereeing performances as “a disgrace” and catalogued others as “embarrassing” during post-match press conferences.

The Arsenal boss believes it’s his duty to put pressure on referees and defend the club when he thinks it has been wronged.

“It is my duty to be defending my players,” Arteta said back in 2023. “Supporting my players, supporting my club, defending my people in the best possible way, and I do it time after time. And I do it not [through] the way I feel but with the evidence and being as clear as possible.”

“We have a duty to express how we feel with the evidence that we have and the history of what happened,” Arteta added. “We have to really stand for our people, our values and what we are.”

Only weeks ago, Arteta said he was “very disappointed” the English FA didn’t overturn Max Dowman’s infamous Carabao Cup red card, a decision he vehemently disagreed with.

---

Arteta Aware He Can Take Things Too Far With Referees

Mikel Arteta recognized he could be better when it comes to his treatment of referees. | Nick Potts/PA Images/Getty Images

Nevertheless, the Spanish boss has also admitted he can sometimes take things too far when it comes to his treatment of referees, and in the past, he revealed he’s making an effort to “change.”

“Sometimes, when I look at myself and I'm so agitated, I think it can sometimes give an image that is not the best, mainly for the club,” Arteta recognized in 2023. “Sometimes it's difficult with certain decisions when you are in the heat of the moment because you are representing the club, and you want to defend them. That’s what drives me. It's to defend the players, to defend the club. Nothing else.”

Arteta has also spoken out against referee abuse, especially online, saying it must be eradicated because it “certainly damages our sport.”

There’s no denying the passionate Arsenal boss can be a pest for referees. But still, after over 250 Premier League games and almost seven full seasons as Arsenal manager, Arteta has never been sent off for his touchline antics during his tenure with the Gunners.

---