Arsenal have issued an official apology to Atletico Madrid after a hot water failure at the Emirates Stadium disrupted the Spanish side’s pre-match training routine.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, ahead of the two clubs’ UEFA Champions League group stage clash, when Atletico Madrid arrived at the Emirates for their scheduled training session.

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What Happened

UEFA rules allow visiting teams to train at the home stadium the night before Champions League fixtures. Atletico Madrid, led by coach Diego Simeone, were preparing for the match when their staff discovered that the dressing room had no hot water at 18:45 BST.

Arsenal quickly realized that their own home dressing room was also affected. As a result, the visiting team ended their training 15 minutes early and returned to their hotel to shower and prepare for the game.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Atletico players and staff were reportedly frustrated by the unexpected inconvenience. Arsenal promptly extended apologies to the Spanish side for the disruption.

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Champions League Form

Arsenal have enjoyed a strong start to their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign, winning their opening two matches without conceding a goal.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are looking to recover from a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool, having bounced back with a convincing 5-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt. Both teams were aiming to maintain momentum ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes group stage encounter.

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Coach and Club Reactions

While the hot water failure was a minor logistical issue, it caused a stir among the visiting squad. Arsenal’s management expressed regret over the situation and emphasized their commitment to providing visiting teams with full facilities in compliance with UEFA regulations.

Manager Mikel Arteta’s side, meanwhile, remained focused on the match, seeking a third consecutive group stage win and aiming to maintain their clean sheet streak in Europe.