Atletico Madrid
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Atletico Madrid have reportedly filed a complaint with Arsenal after their players were unable to access hot water in the Emirates Stadium dressing rooms following a training session on Monday evening, according to multiple reports.
Diego Simeone’s side held their final training session in the rain ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League encounter but were left frustrated when they discovered there was no hot water available for showers afterward. According to reports from Spain, the issue lasted for more than an hour, forcing the players to abandon post-training recovery and return to their hotel instead.
The technical problem, which affected both the home and away dressing rooms, was resolved roughly 40 minutes after Arsenal were informed, but by then, Atletico had already ended their session early. The Gunners later issued an apology to the visitors for the inconvenience, clarifying that the problem was caused by a temporary fault rather than negligence.
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While UEFA rules require clubs to provide dressing rooms with functional hot-water showers, the regulation applies strictly to official matchdays and not to training sessions.
🚨 Atletico Madrid are angered and have launched a complaint to UEFA, after The Emirates had no hot water for the squad to use following their training session today. The club reported the issue to stadium staff when they arrived, but the situation wasn’t resolved. ❌🤬 [@marca] pic.twitter.com/UNuDMf2u4N
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) October 20, 2025
Atletico are set to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday night in a key Champions League league-phase fixture. Mikel Arteta’s men currently sit fifth in the standings after securing victories over Olympiacos and Athletic Club, while Simeone’s side are tenth following a win against Eintracht Frankfurt and a loss to Liverpool.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal bossMikel Arteta has expressed deep admiration for Diego Simeone ahead of the clash, hailing the Argentine’s remarkable 14-year tenure at Atletico Madrid as “incredible.”
Speaking to the media, Arteta lauded Simeone for not only his achievements but also for the distinctive identity he has built within the club.
“I think what he’s done since he got to Atletico has been outstanding, not only what he has achieved but the way he’s done it,” Arteta said. “I think the identity that he has created for the club, for the team, the spirit, I think they are very simple and clear to identify, and that’s because the manager is very much them.
“And that’s extremely difficult to achieve for a short period of time, let alone for 14 years. I think he’s been there now, he’s done something incredible. So yeah, a pleasure to meet him.”
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