Madness or genius? Arteta confesses he secretly sabotaged his own Arsenal team
Mikel Arteta has made a confession that sounds like sabotage but is actually pure coaching theater: he deliberately made life miserable for his own players, and it just paid off in Naples.
Details: The Arsenal manager revealed that he purposely disrupted the team's pre-season routines so the players would get used to problems on the road. He made the squad late for matches, delayed meals and transport, turned up the heat in the dressing room and reduced the number of massage beds. The admission came after the Gunners' flight to Italy this week was delayed by around three hours.
The story surfaced after Arsenal's Champions League trip to Napoli. The team was due to fly out of Luton at around 3pm on Tuesday but arrived in Italy some three hours behind schedule, a logistical nightmare before one of the toughest away games in Europe. When asked whether the chaos affected his players, Arteta smiled and admitted it was exactly the kind of test he had been simulating all summer. I love those challenges. I tried to create them in pre-season, he said. So when they happen, we know how to experience them and we already know. The method in the madness: according to reports, the Spaniard changed travel routes to force delays, cranked up dressing room temperatures, removed massage tables and postponed meals, all to harden his squad for the realities of a long season. The result? Arsenal went to the intimidating Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and ground out a 1:0 win, keeping their perfect start to the season alive. The Premier League champions, with Arteta now close to signing a contract extension that could run until 2033, look a team trained to be unbothered by absolutely anything.
It's worth noting that this is not Arteta's first unconventional motivational stunt: in past seasons he has famously used a light bulb, an olive tree and even pickpocketing waiters in team exercises to sharpen his players' focus.
Reminder: He is staying! Arsenal close in on Arteta extension after title and Saudi snubs.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
