4 2GS Saturday August 1 2020 | the times
Sport FA Cup final
where we belong. With the club of this history
we aim for much higher. But we need to be
realistic, get better and learn from opposition
who are above us.
“I was never able to win the Premier League,
which is a major flaw but three FA Cup wins in
four years was an incredible achievement. For
us as a club, the FA Cup is our competition.
We take a lot of pride in it. It is the oldest
competition. The FA Cup is still important,
absolutely. We shouldn’t belittle it because it
could kick-start something, and it’s a route to
Europe — never underestimate that.”
Mertesacker is now academy manager at
Arsenal and still working with Arteta. “When I
ask him to join a meeting on Zoom for the new
Under-9 signings and their parents, he’s happy
to do that. That’s so beautiful. He speaks to the
Under-9s with similar passion as he does to the
first team.”
The pathway from academy to first team has
been opened up further by Arteta, and that
inspires the younger age groups to absorb
Arsenal principles, including emerging talents
such as the central midfield player Miguel
Azeez, the versatile attacker Sam Greenwood
and the prolific Folarin Balogun. Along with
their peers, they can see opportunity.
“These young players see [Bukayo] Saka,
[Eddie] Nketiah, [Joe] Willock, Emile SmithMertesacker has seen that growing mental
resilience in the present team, in the way the
likes of Granit Xhaka have responded after a
period of turbulence. “I’m absolutely pleased to
see a turnaround in a lot of players that have
been written off,’’ Mertesacker says. “Mikel
came in [last December] and turned it around,
and created a new energy and a new chance for
players willing to contribute to the cause. He
gives a sense of belonging to players and, withthat unity, the players are stronger in tackling all
the struggles that come into our world —
doubts, family issues.
“The most important piece [element] at this
club is we have seen a lot of great players wear
that Arsenal shirt with a sense of belonging and
togetherness, a sense of pride and respect,
trying to improve. I’m very honoured to give my
all to guide the next generation of players and
then guide the club in the right direction. We
finished eighth in the Premier League, that’s not‘Tough German?
No, I was almost
vomiting before
the FA Cup final’
Per Mertesacker won the Wembley showpiece three
times in four years despite being beset by pressure
and self-doubt. He gives Henry Winter an insight
into how Arsenal can cope with the big occasion
Per Mertesacker admits that such was the
intensity of his self-doubt going into three FA
Cup finals with Arsenal and the 2014 World Cup
final with Germany that he wanted to vomit. It
is why Mertesacker “stood tall” alongside Mikel
Arteta, offering and receiving support in “crisis”
meetings with the team during their playing
days together at Arsenal, why he now works so
assiduously nurturing the mental health of
academy players and why he admires the
resilience Arteta has instilled in the first team
going into today’s FA Cup final.
The last time Arsenal won the FA Cup,
Mertesacker, 35, received the trophy from the
Duke of Cambridge, the president of the FA,
after victory over Chelsea in 2017. Mertesacker
is now involved in the Duke’s “Heads Up”
campaign, using football’s profile to encourage
people to open up about their mental health.
Speaking over Zoom this week, Mertesacker
almost grimaced at the suggestion that he fits
the archetype of the mentally tough German.
He recalls his early days, the doubts shared with
family, the growing pains, the suggestion that
he should focus on education, then being
substituted at half-time during his Hannover
debut in front of 33,000 fans in Cologne in
- “I was in a position where I admitted I’m
not going to make it to the top level because
there are other players much better than me,”
Mertesacker reflects.
“There were stages where I talked to myself,
‘Listen, you need to start finding something
different here, it’s not going to work out in
football.’ That actually helped me in my journey
to have the career ahead.’’ It took the pressure
off. Just go for it, see what happens.
A lot happened. Mertesacker earned praise
from Hannover to Werder Bremen to Arsenal,
and with Germany. Along the way, he learnt
techniques to handle pressure. “I tried to do a
lot of routines over the years: what time you
need to eat before the game, what you eat, when
you go to sleep, which sock to put on first, little
things which make you feel good. But still there
are moments where you struggle. Just before
kick-off, I was almost burping and vomiting
because I knew that would release the pressure.
“I was in the privileged position, playing in
front of 60,000, and there are psychological
problems. I’m opening up because for players to
share feelings certainly helps.” Others in that
2014 World Cup dressing room in Rio de Janiero
had self-doubt. “Certainly. But the biggest
German strength was constantly checking on
each other in games, before games. It’s
reassurance. No matter if I do a mistake my
team-mate will be there to carry me. That’s the
best feeling you can go into a game with, that
helps you to overcome mental issues.
“We haven’t had the best individuals with
Germany but we created the best teams,
especially in tournaments, because the trust in
one another, and respect for one another, was so
high that we got through these moments of
doubt together.”
He thinks of the doubts going into FA Cup
finals. “Oh my God, yes. Absolutely. Just before
2014, the first final, against Hull, it was always
written, ‘You have to win this game,’ and that
creates a pressure in itself. We hadn’t won a
major title for ten years, and then we go 2-
down, it’s a nightmare, we are ashamed for the
club, for the fans. All these fears go through
your mind instantly but you shake it off because
of the trust in each other. I have Santi Cazorla
next to me. I know he will produce a magic
moment, or Aaron Ramsey will. So we came
back to win.
“In 2015 it was totally different because we
controlled Aston Villa from the start. The 2017
final against Chelsea was a little bit different
because we were underdogs by far; no one gave
us any hope against the champions of England.
I had doubts because I hadn’t played much. I
played against Diego Costa and all these
superstars from Chelsea. I was playing next to
Rob Holding and Nacho Monreal in a back
three, no one would pay a penny for us but I
knew the trust of the manager [Arsène Wenger]
and the group in myself.
“I was captain that day. I had huge
responsibility. We created that energy with the
fans together in the first 10 to 15 minutes to get
rid of all the doubts. When I won the first and
second duel against Diego Costa I was growing.
I could almost sense that the fans were all of a
sudden believing in us. Alexis Sánchez scored
and then we were better than Chelsea. Great
memories.”
Mertesacker saw special qualities in Arteta
during their five years playing together,
especially when the Spaniard was captain and
the German vice-captain. “Were there self-
doubts in ourselves on a daily basis? Absolutely,
yes. But we’d go together through it. When we
had a crisis, Mikel would come to me and say,
‘Listen, do you want to stand next to me when
I speak to the group?’ This sense of ‘I’m
struggling but I grab someone next to me and
then we will be stronger together’. That still
gives me goosebumps when I feel that.
“Because, ultimately, that’s leadership: still
being strong when you’re vulnerable. We carry
the load together and Mikel would demand that
from everyone, and that’s what he does with the
players now, and that makes the group tighter.
He understands that everyone carries
something mentally, some doubts, so if we all
pull each other we will be better as a group.”There were times where I told
myself, ‘Listen, you need to
find something different here
as it won’t work out in football’
Arsenal have won the FA Cup 13 times, more than
any other club, and today’s is a record 21st final13