Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that deliberate disruptions introduced during pre-season helped his players remain composed when their flight to Italy was delayed ahead of their Champions League clash with Napoli.
The Premier League champions were affected by air traffic control issues while travelling to Italy on Wednesday, eventually arriving around three hours later than scheduled.
However, Arteta said the situation did not unsettle his players because he had deliberately exposed them to similar challenges during pre-season.
As reported by BBC Sport, Arteta was quoted as saying, “I love those challenges, I try to create them in pre-season,” Arteta said at his news conference on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League trip to Sunderland.
“So when they happen, we have already experienced them and we are ready.”
