Arsenal take on Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, looking to maintain their 100% start to the competition.
The Gunners are fifth in the early season standings, having beaten both Athletic Club and Olympiacos by the same 2-0 scoreline already.
Diego Simeone's side will pose a much-tougher test, but Arsenal have history on their side, having beaten Spanish sides in European competition on five consecutive occasions. They would become the first team in Champions League or European Cup history to win six straight games against Spanish opposition if they secure all three points at the Emirates Stadium.
Prior to the game in north London, however, the visitors have had some issues and it has led to Atletico raising a complaint with UEFA over problems they have had ahead of the contest.
Atletico complaint
diego simeone
Atletico trained inside the stadium on Monday, as they are allowed to do to prepare for the match, but the problem came after the session ended.
GiveMeSport reported that following their training session, the Atletico Madrid squad were met with cold water coming from the dressing room showers. According to Spanish outlet Marca, the players were left “furious,” “surprised,” and “confused” that such a modern stadium could lack such a basic amenity.
Atleti officials alerted Arsenal at 6.45pm, shortly after training had begun, to report the issue. Although they had planned to finish at 7.30pm, the La Liga side decided to cut their preparations short, and by the time they returned to the changing rooms, the problem still had not been fixed.
Atletico raised a complaint with UEFA and Arsenal subsequently apologised for the problem encountered. football.london reported that the issue was down to a plumbing problem and that it was fixed within 40 minutes of Atletico raising the problem.
Arsenal in hot water?
Arsenal players pose for a team group photo before match vs Sporting
Champions League - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - November 26, 2024 Arsenal players pose for a team group photo before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
So could Arsenal get in hot water for the lack of, ironically, hot water?
UEFA Article 49.01 stipulates: "The day before the match, pitch conditions permitting, the visiting team is allowed to train for a duration of one hour at the match stadium unless agreed otherwise with UEFA and the home team. If the home team is also holding a training session in the stadium and both teams wish to train at the same time, priority is given to the visiting team. The visiting team may not hold any other training sessions at the match stadium. If holding training sessions could render the pitch unfit for play the next day, an alternative training ground approved ad hoc by UEFA must be made available. UEFA may decide, for the purposes of protecting the pitch for the match, that one or both training sessions must be relocated to the alternative training ground. Any requests to relocate any training sessions to the alternative training ground must be approved by UEFA. In all cases, priority is given to the visiting team, so the first training session to be moved is that of the home team. Both teams may be allowed to train at the match stadium at the same time with each limited to certain areas of the pitch, provided that these space restrictions are notified in writing to each team."
Stadium rules
Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium After The Announcement Of Stan Kroenke's Takeover
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: A general view of Arsenal Football Club's Emirates Stadium on April 11, 2011 in London, England. American businessman Stan Kroenke's company 'Kroenke Sports Enterprises' has increased its shareholding in Arsenal to 62.89% and will make an offer for a full takeover of the club. Kronke first purchased 9.9% of Arsenal shares in 2007. Today's deal values the Premier League club at 731m GBP. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Article 11.01 of the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations states: "Stadiums must be equipped with at least one dressing room for each team, ideally with separate areas for players, team officials, physiotherapy and storage. Team and referee dressing rooms must each be equipped with: showers with hot water, sinks, toilet paper, filled soap dispensers, hairdryers.
These regulations apply to matchdays and not pre-match training sessions, however, meaning Arsenal are unlikely to face any sanctions for the lack of hot water, unless a similar problem is encountered on matchday on Tuesday.