Arsenal brought posters to put in the dressing room in Napoli: Arteta's method

Mikel Arteta brought his entire mentality to the Maradona dressing room on the occasion of Arsenal's season debut in the Champions League, where they faced Napoli. The Spanish coach is known for his slogans and motivational phrases in the dressing room, useful for uniting the group, conveying a winning mentality and reminding the team of its core values. On this occasion too, the coach has asked his staff to put up posters with adhesive tape on the walls of Napoli, with precise and targeted quotes. On one wall it reads: "Win in any context" ("Win in any circumstances"), while on another it simply appears "We are the Arsenal". At the end: "Full gas".

A method that is as simple as it is effective, as well as curious. The Spaniard's aim is to extract all the energy possible from his players through visually impactful writing and direct messages, capable of energizing the group and increasing the self-confidence of each player. So, simple words, but with great meaning. In the past, Arteta had also used the classic tactical board to obtain the answers of his players before the match to a specific question: "How does it make you feel to play at the Emirates?" It is a well-defined and widely used method in sport. Reading a stimulating phrase every day helps to maintain concentration, determination and also good humor. Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more teams are adopting this type of strategy to enter the minds of their players, making the match start even before the starting whistle.

This is not the first time that similar initiatives have been seen. In the Champions League, in April 2025, Bayern Munich published on social media photos of the visitors' dressing room at the Meazza stadium, before the match against Inter. On that occasion, too, graphic walls and inscriptions with deep meaning and great impact were installed, such as "Furchtlos - Fearless" ("Fearless") and "Destemido e intrépido" ("Courageous and fearless"), all with the aim of conveying a sense of strength and determination.

In Italy, meanwhile, Stefano Pioli – in the year of Milan's championship title – had requested and received approval for the phrase: "Be a warrior, not a worrier" to be written in the tunnel that leads from the dressing room to the San Siro pitch. In the case of Arteta, the objective was to remind Arsenal players of their identity: being Gunners today, against a formidable opponent like Napoli and away from your own fans, is even more important. This is the message that Arteta wanted to instill in his players' minds before the kick-off whistle. A matter of mentality, in which the Spanish coach fully believes. And the result proved him right.