From San Sebastián beach to Premier League battle: Arteta and Alonso's friendship turns into rivalry

Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso share a story that transcends football and competition on the pitch. Since their childhood in the city of San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque Country, a strong friendship has developed between the two men, evolving over the years into one of the most exciting relationships in European football, before the friends now find themselves facing each other on the benches of the top clubs in the Premier League.

The story began in the streets of San Sebastián, where Arteta and Alonso lived close to each other. They spent their time together playing football on the beach, tennis, and skateboarding, before being brought together by the Antiguoko academy, which became a starting point for several Basque talents. From a young age, a spirit of competition emerged between them, as no match or game was merely a means of entertainment for the duo.

A notable childhood story reveals that Alonso and Arteta reached the final of a tournament with the 'Antiguoko' team at around eleven years old, where the final was decided by penalties. Alonso missed his penalty, before Arteta stepped up to save his friend by scoring the decisive kick, marking Alonso's first title in his football career directly linked to his friend, who would later become one of his main rivals in the coaching world.

Alonso has always seen Arteta as a fiercely competitive character, even describing him earlier as a "competitive beast", noting that football was more than just a game for his friend. In contrast, Alonso's talent has clearly developed, as he grew up in a footballing family, being the son of former Real Sociedad and Spain player Periko Alonso.

Although the two friends initially dreamed of playing together in the Real Sociedad shirt, their paths diverged in their teenage years. Arteta moved to the Barcelona academy, while Alonso continued his journey with Real Sociedad, before each began a different journey in the world of professional football. However, their separation did not end the relationship that started in the streets of San Sebastián.

When Alonso moved to Liverpool in 2004, Arteta was still in Spain, before he also joined English football through Everton in 2005. Alonso's presence in Merseyside was one of the factors that encouraged Arteta to move to England, after his friend told him about life in the city.

The irony is that the two friends found themselves in rival clubs within the same city; Alonso in a Liverpool shirt and Arteta with Everton. Despite the famous football divide in Merseyside, their relationship remained strong off the pitch, and at one point, they even lived in apartments on the fourth floor of the same building in the Albert Dock area, becoming neighbors while they were rivals in the Merseyside Derby.

Inside the pitch, the competition was completely different. Neither of them wanted to give way to the other, but the football rivalry did not affect their friendship off the field, and the relationship continued even after they retired from playing and moved into the world of coaching.

As time has passed, Arteta has become the manager of Arsenal, while Alonso began his coaching career that led him to Bayer Leverkusen before later taking charge of Chelsea. Thus, the encounters that started on the sands of La Concha beach in San Sebastián have turned into a rivalry on the biggest football stages in England.

Today, Arteta and Alonso stand on the touchline, each carrying big ambitions with their club. Despite their differing personalities and coaching styles, the background that brought them together remains the same: a small city that has produced great players and coaches, and a sporting culture based on competition, hard work, and continuous development.

The story of the two friends reveals that their rivalry did not start in the Premier League, but dates back decades, when they were children competing on the beach and in neighborhood playgrounds. With each new stage in their careers, one pushed the other forward.

Today’s clash between Arteta and Alonso is not just a match between Arsenal and Chelsea, but a new chapter in a story that began in childhood. Friends brought together by the streets of San Sebastián, they were then separated by the paths of football, before being reunited in England, this time as coaches each looking to outdo the other.

It is a story of friendship that has turned into competition, and a competition that has not been able to erase the friendship; from skateboards and football on the sands of San Sebastián, to Albert Dock apartments in Liverpool, and onto the benches of the Premier League, Arteta and Alonso continue to write a new chapter in a relationship that has lasted for decades.