Atletico Madrid have made an ‘official grievance’ against Arsenal to Champions League organisers UEFA after encountering an issue on the Emirates Stadium.
Diego Simeone’s side trained at Arsenal’s stadium in north London on Monday evening ahead of Tuesday’s much-anticipated Champions League group game.
But La Liga giants Atletico were left ‘surprised’ and ‘angered’ by the shortage of hot water available on the stadium and informed UEFA to ‘acknowledge the anomalous situation’.
Spanish outlet Marca says Atletico Madrid reported the problem to Arsenal officials before their training session began at 6.45pm.
Nonetheless, the issue continued by the point Atletico wrapped up their transient session at 7.15pm, meaning the players needed to return to their London hotel before showering.
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Marca say Atletico’s management were baffled why the Emirates Stadium, the most effective grounds in England, can be lacking hot water.
When approached by the Spanish publication, Arsenal acknowledged the error and said the recent water supply was restored by 7.25pm, shortly after the Atletico squad had left.
The Premier League leaders also offered an apology to Atletico Madrid ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League showdown.
Arsenal are usually not only top of the Premier League but joint-top of the Champions League with two wins from two.
Atletico are currently tenth out of 36 teams having followed up an agonising defeat to Liverpool with a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ahead of the sport, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta paid tribute to Simeone, who has been answerable for Atletico for 14 years.
‘I believe what he’s done since he got to Atletico has been outstanding, not only what he has achieved but the best way he’s done it,’ Arteta said.
‘I believe the identity that he has created to the club, to the team, the spirit, I believe they’re quite simple and clear to discover and that’s since the manager could be very much them.
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‘And that’s extremely difficult to attain for a brief time period and to do it for 14 years, I believe he’s been there now, he’s done something incredible so yeah, a pleasure to satisfy him.’
Arteta expects a troublesome test for his Arsenal side, who’ve beaten Olympiakos and Atletico’s La Liga rivals Athletic Bilbao within the Champions League up to now this season.
‘To start with, take a look at their willingness to win,’ Arteta added. ‘You’ll be able to sense that in each ball, in each yard, the best way they play, so it’s about how they compete after which after how they play.
‘I believe there are two very various things, and to be able to should analyse what they’re, the extent of organisation is absolutely high, the extent of discipline is absolutely high.
‘After which they’ve acquired loads of talent throughout the years which might be very specific for the needs and the best way they wish to play and so they are very, superb at exploiting those opportunities.
‘They’ve evolved in addition to a team from where they were probably a yr ago to now, and the way they’ll change in relation to the context of the match, which is something very specific for this team.
‘As a way to prepare in the easiest way, you wish to give [the players] every thing, but have the opportunity to simplify the data and make it as concrete and as clear as possible for us being in one of the best position to implement what we wish to do tomorrow.’
Considered one of Atletico Madrid’s key players on the Emirates Stadium will probably be Julian Alvarez, who played against Arsenal repeatedly at his former club Manchester City.
‘They’re an important team that’s been doing thoroughly,’ Alvarez said of the Gunners. ‘They’ve an important coach and great players.’
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