Sofia Quijada
Arsenal apologise after hot-water outage forced Atlético to shower at their hotel
Arsenal have apologised to Atlético Madrid after a failure in the Emirates Stadium hot-water system left the Spanish side travelling back to their hotel for showers following a training session at the ground.
Under UEFA rules visiting teams are allowed to train at the home stadium the night before Champions League group matches. Atlético were on the pitch at the Emirates ahead of their meeting with Arsenal when staff raised the alarm at 18:45 BST, reporting no hot water in the visitors’ dressing room. Arsenal staff discovered the same problem in the home dressing area.
The session was due to finish at 19:30 but ended about 15 minutes early. Atlético decided to return to their team hotel rather than remain at the stadium.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Atlético squad were “angry” about the situation.
Arsenal issued an apology to Atlético’s staff for the inconvenience.
Both clubs come into the fixture with contrasting recent Champions League form. Arsenal have won their opening two group games without conceding, while Atlético lost 3-2 at Liverpool before beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.
There was no suggestion the issue affected the teams’ on-pitch preparations beyond the early finish to training. Arsenal say they are investigating the cause and taking steps to prevent a repeat.