LONDON (AP) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has cited the friendly tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal as an example of why he can maintain a good relationship with Manchester City rival Josep Guardiola amid a tense Premier League title race.
Arteta was Guardiola’s assistant at City for three years, and the two managers often spoke about each other during the title race between the teams, which City won in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
With 15 matches left in this season’s Premier League, Arsenal lead second-place City by four points.
Arteta said on Friday that he was still in talks with Guardiola.
“I don’t talk to him like my wife does, but we do talk,” he said. “To me, the amazing thing is not to do that. And that would set a really bad precedent for the sport.
“The biggest lesson that sports gave us was the relationship between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. We’re not at that level, but they were two of the best in history, even if they had to play in a final. So how can I not have a great relationship with someone I respect? But when it comes to the court and the pitch, it belongs to the winner.”
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
