"It is a really sad moment, I was big fan of him," Mikel Arteta said of Diego Maradona in the press conference ahead of the Wolverhampton clash.
"I know a lot of people who were very close with him as well and he was someone who inspired a whole city wherever he played.
"He had this attraction, a capacity to generate different emotions to any other football player and I think we all, as kids, were attached to him and now he is gone.
"Thank you so much for what he has done for this sport and I think a lot of young kids at the time wanted to become a footballer because of players like him."
The Napoli and Argentina icon died aged 60 earlier this week. His passing is a tragedy for every person who loves football, no matter what club he or she supports or where he or she comes from.
Diego was a symbol of his generation, and we will forever remember him for his goals, his technique, as well as his unique personality.
What a player:
