Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta (Photo by Jan Kruger, Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique may have unintentionally aimed a bit of a dig at Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as they prepare to meet in the Champions League final.
PSG triumphed 6-5 on aggregate against Bayern Munich in their semi-final yesterday, while Arsenal ended a 20-year wait to reach the final again after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate.
The Gunners will now surely be the underdogs against holders PSG in the final later this month, with Enrique’s side also coming out on top when these two teams met in the semi-finals last season.
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Luis Enrique’s slightly patronising Mikel Arteta comment
Interestingly, as Enrique and Arteta prepare to renew their rivalry, the PSG manager referred to his opponent as “Mikelito” after last night’s game.
See below for the quote, via Fabrizio Romano on X, while the Telegraph’s Sam Dean suggested it might not go down well…
? Luis Enrique: “I appreciate Mikelito Arteta! We used to be teammates when we were kids, he did a great job at Arsenal”.
“It will be difficult, hard game but we believe in our football style”. pic.twitter.com/8JlK6uVlD5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 6, 2026
“I appreciate Mikelito Arteta!” Enrique said. “We used to be teammates when we were kids, he did a great job at Arsenal. It will be difficult, hard game but we believe in our football style.”
Despite the praise for Arteta, “Mikelito” could be seen as a slightly demeaning comment, as it means little Mikel.
Wonder how Mikel Arteta will feel about Luis Enrique calling him “Mikelito” in a post-match interview last night.
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) May 7, 2026
Enrique probably didn’t mean to sound insulting to Arteta, but it’s very possible that the Arsenal manager will take it that way and look to get one over his older ex-teammate.
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