Mikel Arteta given 'first-team manager' job title at Arsenal

Recognising Mikel Arteta's "absolutely phenomenal" work, Arsenal on Thursday announced that his title has been changed from 'head coach' to 'first-team manager'.

Announcing the decision, Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said Arteta has lifted the spirits and energy of the club.

"Mikel's been here since the end of December and the last nine months have probably been the most challenging nine months in Arsenal's history -- and we've been around for 134 years. Despite all of those challenges, Mikel has been driving this football club forward," the club's official website quoted Venkatesham as saying.

"He has lifted the spirits and lifted the energy here at London Colney and with Arsenal fans all across the world. He is doing an absolutely phenomenal job. The other thing that's clear is that right from the day he walked through the door, he was doing much more than being our head coach. So we're going to be changing his job title going forward. He'll move from head coach to be the first-team manager. That's recognition of what he's been doing from the day he walked in the door, but also where we see his capabilities," he added.

The club finished the Premier League 2019-2020 season on the eighth spot, but Arsenal managed to win the FA Cup and Community Shield under Arteta.

Venkatesham further added: "He is doing a great job of coaching the first team and that's his primary responsibility, but there is so much more that he can bring and that's why we're making this change, in recognition of his capabilities and also the job that he's doing already."

( With inputs from ANI )