London (Reuters)
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said that the decision to strip Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the captain’s armband, after a disciplinary violation, was in the interest of the English club.
Arteta added that he relayed the news to the Gabon striker in a face-to-face meeting, acknowledging that dealing with the situation was troublesome.
Aubameyang will not be available against West Ham United in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Arsenal confirmed the news in a statement, saying: “We expect all of our players, especially our captain, to fully comply with the rules and standards set by the club and we have all agreed upon.”
We have to be fully focused for tomorrow’s match.
At the match press conference later, Arteta did not elaborate on the details, although the Athletic website reported that Aubameyang had been ruled out after returning late from a trip abroad.
Arteta excluded the Gabonese striker from the squad that defeated Southampton 3-0 at the beginning of this week due to this disciplinary violation.
Speaking of the club’s decision, Arteta said: “I don’t have much to say. It’s a decision we made in the wake of the last incident with the player, and that’s how it is now.
“When we have to make that decision, it is because it is the right decision to defend the interests of the club.”
When asked how Aubameyang received the news, Arteta remained silent. “He had to accept the decision,” the Spanish coach said.
Alexandre Lacazette captained Southampton in Aubameyang’s absence, and Arteta said the club now had a strong “leadership group” and that was part of the culture he wanted to bring to the club.
He said: We have different players who were nominated to wear the captaincy, and in the last match it was (Lacazette) and we had Granit (Xhaka) who was also the captain of the team, so we will follow up. It is clearly a really unpleasant situation and this is not the time to make any rash decisions. But the leadership group is really strong, it is the group that communicates with me, with the coaching staff and then with the club in a really clear and strong way.
Aubameyang, who signed a new three-year contract with the north London club last year, has struggled this season and scored just four goals in the Premier League, most recently in October against Aston Villa.
The 32-year-old was previously sanctioned for disciplinary offenses, as Arteta ruled him out of the 2-1 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the north London summit last season.
“Since I came here, I have had a good relationship with him and that’s why it was so painful,” Arteta said.
Arsenal is sixth in the league with 26 points after 16 games, two points behind the semi-finals.
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