Former Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi has admitted he feels his old employers have made a mistake in changing Mikel Arteta's job title at the Emirates.
The Gunners have tried desperately to find some solid structure in the aftermath of Arsene Wenger's departure back in 2018. The Frenchman's exit spelt the end of the 'one-man model' that Arsenal enjoyed for decades, where seemingly every decision was run by Wenger before it was made.
Sanllehi was appointed just three months later in September 2018 to try and modernise the way the Gunners operated. The Spaniard is of the belief that the best way to proceed is to have a forward-thinking set-up that delegates clearly so that no one is burdened with an overly intense workload and can focus on one avenue individually to improve the collective fortunes of the club.
He was at the forefront of the operation to dismiss Unai Emery from his post as boss, as well as appointing Per Mertesacker as head of the academy, Edu as director of football and Sanllehi himself completing the quartet as head of football operations.
Initially, Arteta was hired by Sanllehi and co. as Arsenal's first-team coach, yet after the Gunners won the FA Cup eight months into his managerial career, the Gunners boss saw his title change to first-team manager. In turn, this tweak gave him far more control and influence when it came to decision-making on the club's direction.
Sanllehi was sacked by Arsenal shortly after that FA Cup triumph and the subsequent change to Arteta's job title, something he has since claimed was a "mistake" and that it "betrayed" the club's model.
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"They have betrayed the model a little bit now," he told the Athletic. "By going back to the manager at the top, that is a mistake, but that is their mistake. I would have not allowed that to happen. But that's fine, it is working so far for them.
"I do not agree when clubs call the first-team coach 'the manager', the first-team coach is first-team coach, that is enough. Nowadays, the workload is overwhelming, and I need him to concentrate on the first team.
"Anything that distracts you from that is not your responsibility — travel arrangements, the pitch, salary budget, medical department. We will get other people to do that. The first-team coach is short-term oriented — just win tonight's game."
Sanllehi's comments come at a time when morale around the Emirates is high. Arteta has guided Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table having lost just one of their first seven, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact the Gunners are currently the fourth youngest side in Europe's five major leagues.
