Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that the team was prepared for a recent flight delay to their Champions League match against Napoli due to his deliberate strategy of introducing training and travel disruptions during the pre-season. The Premier League champions experienced a delay en route to Italy on Wednesday because of air traffic control issues, ultimately arriving three hours behind schedule.
Arteta explained his approach in a news conference on Friday. "I love those challenges, I try to create them in pre-season," he said. "So when they happen, we have already experienced them and we are ready. Get to the stadium very late, change the routine so the players have to do something else. When it happens, and it can – the flight can be cancelled, or the train is delayed, there is so much traffic, I don't want the players and staff panicking."
He emphasized the importance of adaptation, adding, "When that happens, adapt to it. We have two or three hours on the plane – can we use it? Play together, spend some time together, sleep. But don't complain or use it as an excuse because it's not helpful at all."
Arteta's methods extend beyond travel delays. He has previously experimented with altering meal times, using different routes to stadiums, and making the dressing room environment more challenging for players. These unconventional tactics are designed to reduce stress and surprise on matchdays when unforeseen circumstances arise.
This is not the first instance of Arteta employing unusual preparation techniques. In the past, he has brought a light bulb into the dressing room to encourage energy and performance, and he once hired professional pickpockets to attend a team dinner to teach players about alertness by having them steal phones and wallets. In 2023, a dog named Win was introduced to the training ground to foster a family atmosphere within the team. Arteta also indicated that other staff members have implemented his methods, such as lighting a fire at the training ground before a Champions League match against Sporting.