Arsenal Apologizes to Atletico Madrid for Hot Water Failure

LONDON, England – Arsenal Football Club has apologized to Atletico Madrid after a hot water failure at the Emirates Stadium forced the Spanish team to return to their hotel for showers following a training session on October 20, 2025.

The issue arose just before the two teams are set to compete in a Champions League match on Tuesday night. Atletico’s support staff notified Arsenal about the lack of hot water in their dressing room at approximately 6:45 PM BST. Arsenal found that the same issue existed in their home dressing room as well.

The scheduled training session was supposed to conclude at 7:30 PM BST, but Atletico finished 15 minutes early and left the stadium for their hotel. Spanish media reported that the Atletico players expressed anger over the situation, prompting Arsenal to issue an apology for the inconvenience.

The problem was resolved by 7:25 PM BST, just five minutes before the end of Atletico’s session. Despite this, the visiting team had already departed.

Atletico Madrid, currently in 10th place in the Champions League standings, is looking to bounce back after a narrow 3-2 loss to Liverpool but celebrated a 5-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in their last match. Meanwhile, Arsenal sits fifth in the standings, having secured six points from their first two matches without conceding a goal.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praised Diego Simeone’s squad, highlighting their discipline and competitiveness in every match. He acknowledged their high levels of organization and talent, which make them formidable opponents.

The hot water incident has added tension ahead of the upcoming Champions League clash, with Atletico lodging an official complaint to UEFA following the experience.