Mikel Arteta identified one PSG star with 'aura and energy' he'd never seen before

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has opened up on his time with Paris Saint-Germain and said that he has never seen a player with the demeanour of Brazilian icon Ronaldinho

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has described Ronaldinho as having an "aura and energy" that were simply unmatched during his Paris Saint-Germain playing days. Arteta, who rose up from Barcelona's youth ranks before enjoying a stint in Paris between 2001 and 2002, previously detailed his admiration for the flair and transformative effect Ronaldinho had on the team.

Speaking about the astonishing talents of his former team-mate, the Spanish tactician said: "I had to do all the defending because I had Ronaldinho and [Jay-Jay] Okocha in front of me. Imagine! It was super, almost unreal... A dream for me.

"I was so blessed and I had so much energy at that time. I couldn't waste that opportunity. Ronaldinho is the only player that I have seen in history that could transform, by himself, two clubs.

"He had an aura, an energy, a smile on his face. It was impossible to be next to him and be in a bad mood. And then I never saw a talent like this. In training, in every drill, it was like, 'How is this possible?' Physically, it's impossible to do certain things."

During their short but sweet stint alongside each other in the French capital, Arteta and Ronaldinho lifted the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup before embarking on contrasting careers. Arteta played for Rangers, Real Sociedad, and Everton before making his mark at Arsenal.

In the years since, he has made a successful transition into football management. Initially serving as Pep Guardiola's right-hand man at Manchester City, he returned to north London in 2019 to take over from Unai Emery, transforming Arsenal into Premier League title contenders for the first time since the glory days of Arsene Wenger.

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho had spells with Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro and Fluminese before hanging up his boots in 2018. As Arsenal gear up to face Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG in the Champions League semi-finals, Arteta will have been studying their current set-up closely.

Arsenal have been on fire in Europe this season, finishing third under the new league format before dispatching PSV in the round of 16 and then Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

With Liverpool already crowned Premier League champions with four games to spare, and early exits from both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, the Champions League represents Arteta's last chance to secure silverware in the 2024/25 season.

However, if they want to make it to the final in May against either Barcelona or Inter Milan, they'll first have to overcome a resurgent PSG over two legs in the semi-finals. After finishing 15th in the league format, Les Parisians handed Brest a 10-0 defeat on aggregate in the knockout qualifiers, eliminated Liverpool in the round of 16 on penalties, and successfully saw off Aston Villa in the quarters.

The two teams have already faced each other once in the Champions League this season, during matchday two of the league set-up - with Arsenal emerging as 2-0 victors on home ground thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.

Arteta will undoubtedly be hoping for a repeat performance when the two teams meet at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, before their third and final encounter at the Parc des Princes next Wednesday.

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