Arsenal have apologised to Atletico Madrid after a hot water failure at Emirates Stadium disrupted the Spanish side’s pre-match preparations
The problem left Atletico players without access to hot showers following their training session on Monday evening, ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League group-stage clash. UEFA rules allow visiting teams to train at the host stadium the day before a fixture.
Diego Simeone’s squad began training at the Emirates but were forced to cut the session short after discovering there was no hot water in their dressing room. The team, scheduled to finish at 19:30, wrapped up 15 minutes early and returned to their hotel.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Atletico players were frustrated by the disruption. Arsenal later apologised to the visiting staff, with the issue resolved by 19:25.
Mikel Arteta’s side have started the Champions League campaign strongly, winning their opening two games without conceding a goal. Atletico, meanwhile, suffered a 3-2 loss to Liverpool but bounced back with a 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ahead of the match, Arteta praised Simeone’s squad for their discipline and competitiveness.
“First of all, it’s the willingness to win. You can sense that in every ball, in every yard, in the way they play. It’s about how they compete and then how they play. They are very organised, disciplined, and have gathered talents suited to their style over the years. They are very good at exploiting opportunities,” Arteta said.
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