Childhood Friends Meet in London as Arteta and Alonso Face Each Other for the First Time as Managers

At 23:30 Beijing time on September 6, the Premier League third round will feature a London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea. Arsenal manager Arteta will face Chelsea manager Alonso, his childhood friend, on the pitch for the first time.

Both Arteta and Alonso were born in the Basque region and received football training at Antiguoko. Liverpool manager Iraola was also among them, and they left behind a valuable group photo together.

Before the match, Arteta was asked about the photo with Alonso and their friendship. Arteta said: “The story of our two journeys and where we are now is truly amazing. I mean, what are the chances of something like this happening?! That is exactly the charm of football.”

Alonso and Arteta are both 44 years old this year, with Alonso being four months older. Arteta began his managerial career in December 2019 and has spent his entire managerial career at Arsenal, leading the team to win one Premier League title, one FA Cup title and three Community Shield titles.

Alonso began his managerial career in 2022, leading Bayer Leverkusen to win the Bundesliga title, the German Cup title and the German Super Cup title. He was dismissed midway through last season while managing Real Madrid and took over Chelsea this new season.