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

Arsenal boss has described as having an "aura and energy" that were simply unmatched during his playing days. Arteta, who rose up from 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 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.

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"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 , , and before making his mark at .

In the years since, he has made a successful transition into football management. Initially serving as right-hand man at , he returned to north London in 2019 to take over from , transforming Arsenal into title contenders for the first time since the glory days of .

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho had spells with , , , Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro and Fluminese before hanging up his boots in 2018. As Arsenal gear up to face heavyweights in the 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 in the round of 16 and then in the quarter-finals.

With already crowned Premier League champions with four games to spare, and early exits from both the and , 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 , 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 a 10-0 defeat on aggregate in the knockout qualifiers, eliminated Liverpool in the round of 16 on penalties, and successfully saw off 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 and .

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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