Mikel Arteta has received the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic, a Spanish civil order of honour granted to extraordinary people and institutions.
As per the BBC, the award is granted by the King of Spain, Felipe VI, 'in recognition of extraordinary services' to the nation.
Reacting to winning an award that stands for chivalry and honour, the Arsenal boss said at the ceremony: "When I was told about it I couldn't really understand it. It makes my family really proud, it's a big moment for all of us and it's such a recognition and hopefully I can continue to represent our country in a beautiful way.
"It's a huge recognition. It's a big day for all of us. I have all my family here with me, [it is] a proud day. It's been 24 years away from my country and now everything makes sense."
Arteta has, of course, represented Spain during his days as a footballer. He's now fighting to win the Premier League with three-time defending champions Manchester City as 2023/24 draws to a close this weekend.
Asked if winning this award before the final game is a good omen, Arteta replied: "Maybe it's the signal we needed.
"Especially after what happened last night [with Manchester City beating Tottenham], but we have a beautiful day ahead of us on Sunday and hopefully the magic can happen.
"That's it. We have to do our deal. We know what we need in order to be champions so let's do that."
