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Arteta believes abuse starting to deter people from entering management

Mikel Arteta believes the nature of abuse suffered by managers is beginning to put people off ent...
Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.25 21 Oct 2021


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Arteta believes abuse starting...

Arteta believes abuse starting to deter people from entering management

Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.25 21 Oct 2021


Share this article


Mikel Arteta believes the nature of abuse suffered by managers is beginning to put people off entering the profession. 

The Arsenal manager's comments follow Steve Bruce's dismissal from the Newcastle job, and the subsequent revelation of the scale of abuse suffered by the 60-year old.

Bruce told The Telegraph that the Newcastle job could well be his last, due to the toll of the abuse on both him and his family.

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“By the time I got to Newcastle, Bruce said, "I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough.

"To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage-head or whatever. And it was from day one."

Speaking ahead of Friday's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa, Arteta said more needs to be done to protect managers - and their families - from the level of abuse hurled their way.

"I was shocked with the way he [Bruce] expressed himself and the letter he did openly, the Arsenal manager told Sky Sports.

"He's one of the most important managers England has had in the last 100 years I would say. It's something to reflect [on] and think about.

"It [online abuse] will only get worse and it's not going to get any better unless we do something about it.

"I have experienced it myself. I have three kids, they are watching football and they support certain teams as well.

"And they see reactions from fans towards a player or manager telling them 'they are so bad', 'the manager doesn't have a clue', and our obligation as parents is to stop that immediately.

"My kids in a year or two they are going to have a mobile phone and if I allow them to have that kind of reaction and use that language, they will do it on social media.

"They don't have a clue whether that manager is making the right decision, whether that player is good or not, they cannot make a judgement based on one moment or instance.

"First of all, you have to say to them: You have hate, who are you trying to influence with those comments? It's not right.

"Criticism can be really powerful if it's done in the right way. When people want to damage you, you want to have a reaction to go against it. You need to know when and how.

"My worry is that my career is very, very short and Steve has been doing it for over 20 years with a thousand games, and he has struggled.

"When someone with that experience is struggling, there is not an easy fix to that."

Arteta was asked if the nature and scale of abuse is putting off potential managers, he replied, "I think it has already started in society as well that it is easy to take the comfort zone, and the comfort zone is deciding to be a sports scientist or an individual coach.

"Hopefully not and this is what we cannot lose because, with a lot of people with great talent and great capabilities, this [online abuse] cannot be the filter for someone to make the decision on whether they need to be there or not."

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Arsenal Mikel Arteta Newcastle Newcastle United Online Abuse Steve Bruce

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