In somewhat laughable news this week, the Daily Mail launched a campaign to stop referees being abused, with Mikel Arteta’s picture front and centre after the post-Newcastle comments rumble on and on.
Obviously the idea of that particular publication trying to take the moral high ground over anything is nonsensical and borderline offensive to anyone with a modicum of intelligence, but then rank hypocrisy in certain sections of the press is not a new thing.
At his press conference yesterday, the Mail sent a reporter to question the Arsenal boss about their campaign and his comments about officiating. Here’s how that went, presented to you in transcript form.
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Mail stooge: Hello Mikel, I’m here from the Mail. We’ve launched a campaign this week about respect for referees. Your photograph has featured in some of the pages, in the comments from Newcastle. I think beyond that, it’s more a question of whether you feel that more can be done, whether football should address this idea of, and show a little bit more respect for the referees, because it filters all the way down to the bottom of the game where referees are threatened in the parks with violence and threats.
Arteta: I saw the article and I saw the campaign, I saw my picture, but I took it as a compliment, because I’ve been here 20 years and I always have supported the league, the players, the referees and I have promoted the game always in the best possible manner.
If we want to continue to do that you have to give your opinion, you know, and I have given hundreds of opinions – but if you want to isolate one one moment to talk about something that I believe and use it in a different way, I don’t think that’s fair.
Mail stooge: I think it’s less about the opinions that you give. I think, I’m sure you’re entitled to criticise and give opinions. I think it’s more about the images of confrontation and aggression that we see. I’m not necessarily talking about you but…
Arteta: I hope …
Mail stooge: … players reacting to referees’ decisions, managers reacting. Do you understand how that can filter down to the bottom of the game?
Arteta: But we live the game, you know, with emotion. I react when a player scores a goal. I react when a player gives a ball away. I react to the physio when he wants to fly on the pitch to get treatment and I’m saying no way. We are constantly reacting. This is the game. We live a game that is passionate, you know, and we play to win. And it has to happen and you have to react.
If not, let’s sit down here, like in the theatre, be on mute, and let’s see if this league and this game is that interesting. It won’t be. That’s what makes it special. In a very respectful way, yes, for sure. Yes, for sure.
Mail stooge: So is it impossible?
Arteta: What?
Mail stooge: Is it impossible to expect people to improve their behaviour, to change their behaviour?
Arteta: No, it is. We have to say what does that mean. What does that mean to improve it?
Mail stooge: To show more respect?
Arteta: How?
Mail stooge: To not look like … er …
Arteta: It is like an onion, but we talk really superficially. We have to go to the bottom of it. What do we expect from each other? This is going to help you. I do it. If they tell me these three things are going to help, believe me I will try my best to help for sure. But it has to be detailed. Don’t talk globally about one situation one day, three months later because you know we have to go to the historics of what we all say, how we all behave. Because I can behave really well now because of it … but three years ago …
Mail stooge: I understand, thank you.
Arteta: Yeah, thank you.
If the Daily Mail is after him, he must be doing something right!
Daily Heil*
I think Arteta nailed it!
The Daily Nail?
Daily Cunts!
Ha! Well said.
Presstitutes everywhere these days, you pay that bloke sufficient he will say the exact opposite & start a counter narrative against the referees.
As the only thing the daily *hate* mail is fit for is wiping up dog mess I am just disappointed that Mikel didn’t tell their reporter to go do one 😉
He kinda did, in a professional way. Would’ve loved to see the journalist’s face as his stupid questions and assertions were easily battered away.
That’s really insulting Bill. What have you got against dog mess ?
If they really wanted to fix this, they could implement strict rules ala rugby that deal with dissent.
Instead they go after individuals based on the comments after one match out of 200.
The way Arteta is being treated is an absolute disgrace. And we as Arsenal fans should get right behind him in this moment.
Anyone going to the game today should sing his name for the entirety of the 90 mins to show these idiots that we are right behind him and always will be.
It’s just so funny that all this has come after some choice remarks after a heated game and not, um I dunno, Klopp screaming in a referees face, Poch being held back from verbally abusing a ref or De Zerbi saying he doesn’t like 80% of refs. Show me the video of Arteta screaming in the face of referees or being aggressive towards them. I haven’t seen it yet. Sometimes I don’t like the conspiratorial aspect of certain sections of the Arsenal fanbase. But this is bona fide, unadulterated hate towards our club and our manager. And we need to… Read more »
It’s happened in Spain, Italy, NBA, MLB, NFL, etc… How can you explain 3 (possibly 4) reasons for SaudCastle’s goal to be disallowed, blantantly ignored? Is it incompetence, corruption or both?
If you don’t think referees in the PL are “bought” when just about every aspect of the game has been corrupted from owners to sponsors, and the lowest paid “professionals” in the system are the referees, then…
All corruption, and you can see the layers of the mechanisms driving this bent machine.
PGMOL referees are getting all the respect they deserve, which is not very much. As in all walks of life, respect needs to be earned. If referees do their job well – consistently demonstrating balanced, good judgement – maybe the respect will follow. It is the PGMOL’s lamentable poor performance, that is casting a shadow over the entire profession and if they (and the gutter press) really want to know why there is a lack of respect at the grass roots, they should look in the mirror, rather than vilifying, anyone who dares to call out their buffoonery.
Right on
Absolutely correct.
For instance, how many times have we seen Collina hounded, the way most refs are? Good referees naturally earn players and managers respect
excellent comment. All I’d add is that this is all a tactic to deflect eyes from the real problem; the state of refereeing. All the time they are blaming the messenger; nothing will improve.
The real issue is the variable interpretation of the laws of the game. If it is a foul, it is a foul. Hitting a player in the back of the head as you run by is a red card by definition of the laws. Officials saying there was not enough force used to be a red card is bull. The player intentionally hit another player as he ran by. RED CARD! Easy no interpretation needed. If an offensive player uses two hands to push the defender in the back, it is a foul. How hard a push does not matter.… Read more »
Yep
I love how he forced the reporter to be specific, which he couldn’t. Sick and tired of media and people in general trying to cancel others out by misusing general terms, exaggerating and moving goal posts as it suits them.
Couldn’t agree more Bjorn. So proud Mikel is our coach and standing up for himself. We need to harness this witch hunt against him and get the man some trophies, starting with 3 points later today.
COYG!!!!
Arteta is the real Daily Male.
Next Daily Mail issue:
*Mikel Arteta claims media conspiracy against him*
After his verbal tirade against the referees body and the FA, Arteta has now set his sights on the media. He claims………(nitpicks and disinforms on the interview).
The article on the daily fail was from that pompous prick Oliver Holt.The one who supposedly supports little Stockport co getting on his moral high horse.c** t.The fact he’s from NW( Manchester) tells you their litttle scheme.A PGMOL cartel mouthpiece.
Until the PGMOL accept that they have a part to play in respect as well, there is no point. The dialogue from VAR during the Guimaraes attack on Jorginho was never addressed, even though they specifically interpreted the rules wrongly.
These referees will still be on display without recourse in the Premier League.
How how bout Pochettino?
Or De Zebri for all it matters
Why isn’t that much said about them for the all match confrontation or the dislikes of 80% of referees . So I suppose that’s respectful according to Mail cos no reporter is pursuing that or using their photos on main page
Love how he called out their BS.
Expertly handled. We have a canny operator, you can’t flip it on him. He’s too assured, smart, and no bullshit for this nonsense.
Daily Fail as a moral authority? Rofl
100% right about this. Class
100% wrong about how Ramsdale situation has been handled.
The Daily Mail engaging in an anti bullying campaign is like Nazis starting up and anti racism campaign. The Daily Mail is the very epitome of bullying.
Daily Mail or not, I think they have a very valid point. It’s fair to say the football world is really quite shitty and a very long way from other sports such as tennis or rugby. So I think all people publicly exposed could show a better example for younger generations, and that doesn’t exclude Arteta, but as much as I like him as an Arsenal fan I am absolutely not surprised by his attitude, all the managers and players continuously show rotten behaviour, just as they have lost touch with the real world.
All this in relation to something claimed by the Daily Mail. I can only assume you don’t or haven’t lived in the UK. The Daily Mail do nothing but hound and demonise people all the time. That’s their whole modus operandi. Them assuming the moral high ground is a travesty.