Managers have ‘huge duty’ to behave well, says Arteta

Mikel Arteta says managers have a “huge duty” to behave properly after the Arsenal boss escaped punishment for his Newcastle rant.

Arteta was charged by the Football Association when he claimed a VAR decision to award Anthony Gordon’s goal in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last month was a “disgrace”.

It was announced on Thursday that Arteta had escaped a fine or a touchline ban after an independent disciplinary panel ruled a charge of misconduct was “not proven”.

Arteta has never been shy of displaying his emotions on the touchline, with his passionate protests irking some rival bosses and fans.

The Spaniard was suspended for last weekend’s 1-0 loss at Aston Villa after picking up three yellow cards for his antics this season.

Back on the bench for Saturday’s visit from Brighton, Arteta acknowledged it is important to set a good example.

“We have a huge duty. It’s part of our role to conduct ourselves in the best way and represent the game, the league and our clubs in the best possible way,” he told reporters on Friday. 

“This is what we try to do every day, sometimes better, sometimes worse, but it’s our intention.”

With Arsenal in the thick of the title race, Arteta is likely to face more flashpoints involving crucial decisions.

But he said he was impressed with the way the panel listened to his point of view, especially about the stress managers are under. 

“I felt a lot of sympathy to be fair as I explained the pressure we feel as managers and how important details are for our job,” he said.

“When the outcome is that important we get really emotional about it. Nobody remembers three weeks ago when you lost a game because of a certain reason. So, I think it was a really good process.

“It was done. I defended my opinion. I expressed my opinion.”

Calling for managers and officials to work together for the good of the game, Arteta added: “I’m fully supportive of how we have to improve the game. Refs are a big part of that and they know that.

“Managers are a big part of that. We have the duty to do that. It’s good to discuss things in an open and honest way. This is what I tried to do.

“It’s not about them, it’s we. We want to do the game better. It’s about how we can improve on the touchline to make life easier from the players’ side, their (officials) side, technology-wise and the clubs. We have to do it together.”