Atletico Madrid complains to Arsenal over hot water

The hours leading up to Atletico Madrid's Champions League match against Arsenal witnessed a strange incident that sparked controversy, after the Spanish club filed an official complaint with UEFA against its English counterpart due to administrative shortcomings in preparing the facilities at the Emirates Stadium. The British newspaper, The Athletic, reported that the story began during Atletico's official training session on the grounds in London, when the team discovered that there was no hot water in the changing rooms after the workout. This forced the players to return to the hotel without showering despite the cold and rainy conditions ahead of the anticipated Champions League match. The newspaper explained that Atletico representatives alerted Arsenal officials to the problem early on, but it was not resolved until the team's departure, sparking widespread anger within the Spanish team. It indicated that the tank responsible for the hot water was either empty or temporarily out of order, with Arsenal apologizing for the failure, considering it an unintended technical glitch in a facility considered among the most modern in Europe. The newspaper added that the London club opened an internal investigation to determine the cause of the sudden failure, while Atletico Madrid insisted on submitting its formal complaint to UEFA to document the incident. The incident surprised observers, given the modernity of the Emirates Stadium and its state-of-the-art facilities. Similar incidents had never been recorded in European competitions at this level. The newspaper emphasized that Atletico's technical staff considered the situation disturbing and impactful on the team's preparations, but at the same time stressed the need to focus on the match and not allow the incident to distract from the sporting objective. Meanwhile, UEFA has not issued an official statement regarding the complaint, but it is likely to suffice with an explanation or warning to the host if organizational shortcomings are proven, especially since it relates to a simple logistical aspect of what is supposed to be the most highly organized tournament on the continent.