By Shirley Hannah Birungi, an Arsenal fanatic.
He was an Arsenal fanatic! He unapologetically wore his jersey and longed for a season where Arsenal would be crowned Champions.
Frank, Arsenal won! And just like any other Arsenal fan or player we lost before lifting the 2025/26 English Premier League trophy, this tribute is for you.
My football journey started when I was 7, and being the firstborn child, I was Daddy’s handbag (rest well, Dad). He took me to almost every football game he watched with his friends.
I vividly remember the commentators in their Kiswahili element, “Maradona na mupiira, Zidane na mupiira, Ronaldo na mupiira….”, interpreted as “Maradona with the ball, Zidane with the ball, Ronaldo with the ball”.
Years later, the call of being an Arsenal fan rang, and I answered. This intimate love particularly sprung during the season of ‘The Invincibles’ – the legendary nickname given to the Arsenal squad that won the 2003–04 Premier League season without losing a single game, a feat never achieved before or since in the modern English top-flight. As the saying goes, the rest is history. Each season got better, with more passion and the hope that we would relive ‘The Invincibles’’ season under the Arsene Wenger era.
About 3 years ago, the late Frank Muthusi, who was CEO Fireworks Advertising Group got to know how much I loved reading and my passion for Arsenal, interests we both shared. He recommended a book which he later offered me to read with a promise that we would exchange views on which culture stood out. The book was titled The Barcelona Way: Unlocking the DNA of a Winning Culture.
The book has an interesting approach to cultivating the right culture within an organisation and cites how Pep Guardiola’s 19 trophies in 4 years at Barcelona, is a success rate that continues to make him one of the greatest coaches in football.
In this book, Damian Hughes, a sports psychologist, details the key principles that defined FC Barcelona’s success and shows how the DNA of a winning team can be successfully applied to any work environment.
Commitment Culture or Model is what stood out for me. The model builds a strong, shared identity and philosophy of more than a club, first, then recruits and retains people who align with and commit to it emotionally and behaviourally. It prioritizes cultural fit, clear behavioural norms like humility, hard work, team-first, and long-term cohesion over individual stardom.
Research showed this model often led to faster success and greater endurance. Hughes details principles like Big Picture, Arc of Change, Repetition, Cultural Architects, and Authentic Leadership (forming the BARCA acronym) to build and sustain it. This was likened to what Guardiola had achieved at Barcelona thus inspiring the book’s title.
Other models include the Star Model, associated with teams like Real Madrid’s “Galácticos” approach, which focuses on recruiting the brightest, most talented individuals, often at high cost and giving them freedom or resources, hoping their collective brilliance drives success.
Third is the Engineering Model. This can be traced in football clubs like Borussia Dortmund, emphasizing hiring technically skilled, results-oriented people who thrive on clear plans, pressure, and challenging work with strong peer accountability. The model is common in Silicon Valley start-ups, effective where processes are definable, but less adaptable in highly uncertain environments.
The Bureaucracy Model traced in Liverpool relies on rules, procedures, policies, stats or algorithms, and administrative discipline. Roles are clearly defined and tasks are performed in prescribed ways for predictability. It can deliver consistent but not exceptional results but often stifles creativity and repels innovative talent.
Lastly, is the Autocracy Model which especially reflected strongly in Chelsea during Abramovich’s reign and Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. It centers on a dominant leader, often the founder or owner, who sets and enforces standards top-down with limited input from others. Autocracy model drives short-term results through strong direction but becomes dysfunctional without the central figure and limits broader ownership.
Frank believed in mentorship and creating a legacy that lasts. Through the Fireworks Apprenticeship program, under which I am proud to have been trained, he encouraged us to live the organisation’s values of Dependability, Outstanding Values, and Teamwork (DOT). At Fireworks, DOT reflected in the day-to-day work and to this day is etched in what the advertising agency is known for.
The Barcelona Way made me love Pep, because I believe in creating a lasting impact. During Messi’s departure from Barca, you could tell this was more than a football club, it was home. Emotions were evident during his exit press conference, which moment showed what the team meant to him. Barca was family; little wonder that Pep carried the same spirit to Man City, which Arsenal’s Arteta was able to tap into as his assistant.
Arsenal’s academy has traits of Commitment Culture, and Arteta has proved that doing the same thing again and again ultimately results in a winning culture.
Frank, Arsenal won and I hope you and all the departed Arsenal fans whose lives were cut short before this win are cheering on in heaven.
Arteta, you saved us from being labelled ‘Bottlers’. Well done, David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurriën Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Piero Hincapié, Myles Lewis‑Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Marli Salmon, Martin Ødegaard (captain), Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Christian Nørgaard, Mikel Merino, Max Dowman, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, the set piece coach Nicolas Jover, other coaches and supporting staff. Not forgetting the owner, Stan Kroenke, for the financial contribution in acquiring new talent like Rice, Eze, Gyökeres, to mention a few, who have been pivotal in this win.
At times, it will take time, but the wait will always be worth it. For Arteta, it took just under 8 years, perhaps it could take less for you. Keep focused, grounded, and cultivate rituals that later aid a winning culture, then patiently watch as everything falls into play.
