Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta are the standout figures of the current season. On the domestic front, both have demonstrated their dominance: Paris Saint-Germain have already been crowned Ligue 1 champions, and Arsenal won their first Premier League title.

On the international stage, their teams will face off in the final on 30 May in Budapest to decide the new UEFA Champions League champion. The elite of modern football is well represented by these two managers.

Without a doubt, their spectacular performances on the touchline also make them frontrunners for the Johan Cruyff Trophy, which recognises the best manager at the upcoming Ballon d’Or gala – an award that Luis Enrique has already won in 2025.

However, the fact that both have reached the pinnacle of European football at the same time is no coincidence. Although they are of different ages and have different career paths, Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta share not only a nationality but also the same footballing DNA.

Their styles are based on non-negotiable principles, and in this article we will discover why their playing styles are so dominant and what the tactical pillars are that allow them to shine at the pinnacle of world football.


Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta and the same DNA

To understand why Arsenal and PSG are currently dominating, we must look to the past. Specifically, to FC Barcelona. Both managers were shaped by the Catalan club’s philosophy, a school of thought that prioritises understanding the game and tactical intelligence above all else.

Their relationship is not just ideological; it is also personal. In the late 1990s, Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta shared a dressing room at Barça. Whilst Luis Enrique was already captain and an established figure in the first team, a young Arteta was taking his first steps at the club.

Their coaching careers were, in a way, brought together through the figure of Pep Guardiola. Luis Enrique was the natural successor to Pep’s style at Barcelona and managed to reach the pinnacle of the world once again with the 2015 treble.

For his part, Arteta prepared for the elite by working side by side as Guardiola’s first-team assistant at Manchester City during the early years of his career. Then, in 2019, he began his career as head coach at Arsenal.

Today, Luis Enrique in Paris and Arteta in London are the two leading exponents of this DNA. They have taken the foundations of the Barcelona school, modernised them and turned them into the most competitive formula in European football today.


Cruyff’s legacy: Different accents for the same language

This entire tactical school that both share has one undisputed creator: Johan Cruyff. Both Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta are staunch defenders and upholders of the possession-and-attack ideology that the Dutchman instilled at Barcelona over three decades ago.

In this regard, both rely on technically gifted midfielders who are highly effective at short passing and know how to break through defences with through balls when necessary. Furthermore, both utilise the pace of their wingers to penetrate opposition defences.

However, sharing the same DNA does not mean that their teams play exactly the same way. Each has adapted the philosophy to the modern demands of football, creating two styles with very distinct differences on the pitch:

Luis Enrique and lethal verticality

The Asturian’s PSG stands out for its direct aggression. The Parisian side uses possession in its own half to draw the opposition’s pressure. However, the moment it spots a gap behind the defence, his team attacks with impressive speed.

Luis Enrique places complete trust in the dribbling and one-on-one ability of his pacy wingers, seeking to finish moves with as few touches as possible once they cross the halfway line. Without a doubt, this is the hallmark of his PSG side.

Mikel Arteta and total control

In contrast, the Arsenal manager prioritises a much more rigid, solid and patient structure. His team does not seek a frenetic, back-and-forth game. Here, the aim is to wear down and suffocate the opposition by pushing them back into their own area.

To achieve this, Arteta positions many players in every area of the pitch and uses inverted full-backs who act as midfielders. This control of possession and space ensures he dominates the tempo of the match and builds a defensive block that is extremely difficult to penetrate.

A clash of styles: Which will prevail in Budapest?

Given the characteristics of both styles, the stage for the head-to-head clash is quite clear. Logic suggests that PSG will come out to impose their direct style and seek to dominate proceedings aggressively from the first minute.

For their part, Arsenal will surely rely on their usual patience to weather the initial onslaught, settle their defensive block and begin to weave their passing network to take control of the game. It will be a clash of forces where Parisian speed will put the London side’s structure to the test.

No one knows exactly how the match will unfold, but of one thing we can be sure: Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta have already taken their teams to the pinnacle of European football this season.

Whatever happens on the pitch, both have shown that the tactical DNA of the Barcelona school remains a viable path to modern success. Who will be crowned UEFA Champions League winners?