Mikel Arteta hopes to ensure job pressures ‘cannot destroy’ personal life

Mikel Arteta says the pressures and strains around winning games must not be allowed to “destroy” managers’ personal lives, citing his own example as one where the right balance needed to be struck.

Last season Arteta turned around a woeful start, and significant supporter discontent, to guide Arsenal up the Premier League table; now they will face Everton at the Emirates on Wednesday night with a chance to go five points clear at the top. But he explained the demand for success brings difficulties and requires a sense of perspective, particularly where family life is concerned.

“You can have difficulties in your job and challenges, which we do especially when you lose, but when you’re winning as well because the job is so demanding,” he said. “But you cannot destroy your life because of that. Your family, your friends, your loved ones, the people around you don’t deserve their lives to be affected in such a negative way because you lose a football match.

“So that balance, I think in my case, was critical but you need some help from someone to put that picture in front of you, because when you’re in that position it’s not easy to see it.”

Arteta was speaking days after Graham Potter, the Chelsea manager, revealed he has received messages wishing him and his children dead since he took the job in September. Two years ago Arteta spoke of online threats to his own loved ones, although he did not wish to go into detail when asked this time. Potter is struggling to turn a complex footballing situation around at Chelsea and his counterpart understands the issues.

“We are colleagues and we all know the pressure, the demands and the uncertainty this industry has,” Arteta said. “And as well because the fact the ball has to go