Spanish media have reacted to Atletico Madrid’s decision to file an official complaint against Arsenal with UEFA. The Gunners thrashed the La Liga giants 4-0 on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium, continuing their flawless start to the Champions League’s league phase.
After a tense first half with missed opportunities from both sides, Mikel Arteta’s team unleashed their full force between the 57th and 70th minute. They netted all four goals within the 14-minute window, with contributions from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres. Atletico’s manager, Diego Simeone, is certainly not used to such heavy defeats, even when facing Europe’s elite clubs. The Argentine did not offer any excuses for the rout, but his team’s preparations were not as smooth as he had wanted ahead of the match. As part of their pre-match preparations, Atletico trained at the Emirates under typical British rainy conditions on Monday evening. However, due to a plumbing issue affecting both home and away dressing rooms, the players were unable to take hot showers after training.
Atletico staff notified Arsenal of the problem at 6.45pm on Monday while their players were still training. The issue was reportedly resolved 40 minutes before the end of the scheduled training session. However, the Spanish side decided to finish their training early and return to their hotel for showers.
They have since filed an official complaint against the Gunners, claiming they were made to wait for around an hour. Arsenal, who apologised for the inconvenience, say they resolved the issue within 40 minutes of being made aware of it. UEFA regulations stipulate that “stadiums must be equipped with… showers with hot water” to host Champions League matches. The Spanish media were quick to report on Atletico’s indignation, even before their crushing defeat by the north Londoners.
AS reported: “The Atleti team is baffled why a field of such high quality doesn’t offer the minimum facilities for its players to shower after training. The anger among the Red and White squad was enormous. This was further amplified by the fact that part of the training session was held in the rain, forcing the players to rush to the bus and, from there, to the team hotel, a 45-minute journey, in disbelief that this event could happen in a world-class venue like the Emirates Stadium.”
Mundo Deportivo, another publication, stated prior to the match: “The task is complicated, but Atletico, angry after not being able to shower before the match because there was no hot water at the venue, wants to test itself against Arsenal, and at the Emirates, to see where it stands in its search for a much-needed victory.”
Meanwhile, Marca reported: “The Red and Whites don’t understand why a modern venue like the Emirates, and in a tournament like the Champions League, doesn’t have something so basic.”
However, COPE reported that Atletico president Enrique Cerezo downplayed the incident, saying “it’s not a big deal,” and even joked his players “would be better off”. When asked if such an incident could ever occur at the Metropolitano Stadium, he proudly retorted: “It’s unbelievable that you’re asking me that question. You can’t ask the best stadium in the world whether it has hot or cold water.”