Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta decided to make a barbecue rather than watch the match that clinched his team the .
Arteta was due to watch the Bournemouth-Manchester City game with Arsenal’s players and coaching staff at the club’s London Colney training base on Tuesday evening, but he left before kickoff because 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 bring the energy that I wanted.鈥�
Instead, he went home and started to grill in his yard, only 鈥渉earing some noises in the background鈥� as second-place City could only draw 1-1 to leave Arsenal as English champion for the first time since 2004.
鈥淢y oldest son opened the garden door,鈥� Arteta said, describing the moment he discovered Arsenal had won the title. “He started to run towards me, he started to cry, he gave me a hug and said, 鈥榃e are champions, daddy.鈥�
鈥淎nd then my other two boys and my wife came over and it was beautiful, just to see that joy on them as well … it was magical.鈥�
Thousands of supporters 鈥� and some of the team’s players 鈥� deep into the night, and Arteta was struck by how much it meant to a fan base that had in the league in each of the last three seasons.
Arteta described it as an 鈥渆motional explosion.鈥�
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 been just keeping emotions and living those emotions, but not being able to really express them,鈥� he said Thursday. 鈥淪o when we opened that bottle, I think everybody had so much release and it鈥檚 been incredible to witness.鈥�
Arteta said he had questioned himself about whether he was 鈥済ood enough to lead this team, this club, these players to win a major trophy.鈥�
鈥淯ntil you do it, you cannot validate yourself,鈥� Arteta said.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 the most proud,鈥� he added, 鈥渋s how we鈥檝e won it. Because we showed very important values, not only in sport but in life as well, which is perseverance, to be resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting. To be vulnerable.鈥�
Arsenal’s players will lift the trophy after the game at Crystal Palace on Sunday in the .
The Gunners will then play the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30. A parade is set for the next day in north London 鈥� and it could be a double celebration.
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