Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, has gone public about having his DNA mapped and says the move is tied to leadership, health, and long-term performance. He partnered with Bupa, the global healthcare company that offers genome sequencing to, as the firm says, 'better understand how genetics and lifestyle may shape health.'
Arteta told Fortune that he does not like the word 'pressure' and prefers to focus on expectation, desire, and task. 'It’s about putting a lot of focus on leading yourself,' he said, adding that people must know 'what is your purpose, what drives you, what is your passion, and then making sure that you create your ecosystem around you to achieve.'
He said health is 'foundational' to elite leadership. 'You have to lead—whether it is your family or your club,' Arteta said. 'You had better look after yourself and you had better lead yourself first.'
He added: 'In order to do that, the foundation is your health. I think without that, there is nothing underneath. Your energy, your well-being, your capacity to basically connect with people emotionally, and to be able to handle all the situations, challenges, and the amount of work and stress that we go through daily at work.'
According to the report, the test revealed an increased likelihood of coeliac disease and a level of lactose intolerance. Arteta said having the test gave him peace of mind and helped with conversations with his family about the future and living healthily.
Melvin Samsom, Bupa’s group chief medical officer, said 'Mikel now has those insights to share with a doctor if he needs them in the future.' He also said the results prompted Arteta to look more closely at his nutrition and choices that support his long-term health.
Arsenal won the title last year for the first time in 22 years, and Arteta said the club showed 'perseverance, to be resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting. And to be vulnerable.' The club had previously been described as a 'bridesmaid club' that repeatedly fell short in the race for the most lucrative title in world soccer.
Arteta, who had a serious heart condition when he was young, said he wants more room to talk publicly about health and family, not just professional success. 'I think we talk publicly about a lot of things that are not as relevant as health,' he said.
The market has already voted for a simple truth: leadership is not just about tactics or title races. Capital rewards discipline, and the taxpayer never benefits when institutions ignore prevention, resilience, and the cost of poor health. In a world obsessed with output, Arteta is putting the most basic asset first: the body that produces it.
