Mikel Arteta has implemented a team bonding scheme at Arsenal that is in fact costing his players thousands, according to a report.
The Gunners manager is anchoring the club’s title charge this season as they look to be crowned champions of England’s top flight for the first time since 2004.
After three years in a row of coming second, the Gunners are aiming to finally finish top of the tree this season, but are already up against it after losing 1-0 to defending champions Liverpool at Anfield before the international break.
Still, Arteta is not for the want of trying, and has been known to use some eyebrow-raising tactics to try and get the upper hand on his rivals.
According to The Sun, the Spaniard has created a strict rule which means players must meet at the training ground before both home and away games in an effort to build team spirit.
It is reported that Arteta believes every player must be in sync to win the Premier League, with body language and friendships also monitored.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has implemented a scheme that is costing his players thousands
He orders players to meet at the training ground, with many stars forking out for taxi service
Players usually drive straight to the stadium for home games, or arrive on a club coach.
Arteta, though, is said to order players to meet at the Colney training ground 24 miles from the stadium, and they bus to the ground together after.
It is said that many players have therefore opted to get cabs to the training ground, essentially renting them out for the whole day. Drivers are reported to pick them up and take them to Colney and then return to pick up their families.
The drivers are then said to wait behind to drop players back after the game. For away games, it is said that players cannot be picked up from the ground by their families but must go back to the training ground before being cabbed home again.
The Sun report that the daily rate of bookings for the cabs range from £700 to £1,000, which is half the drivers’ weekly target for payment and has led to a clamour for north London drivers trying to get a gig with the club.
One driver told the publication: ‘I mean for us it leaves us looking forward to every game and hope we get the call because that is essentially more than half what we have to get for the week and it’s quite relaxing.
‘Also who doesn’t want to be involved in football these days even if you’re driving them around.’
Last year, meanwhile, it was reported that Arteta secretly hired a team of professional pickpockets tasked with taking phones and wallets during a dinner with his first-team squad.
Last year, it was reported that Arteta secretly hired a team of professional pickpockets
At the end of the meal, the Spaniard asked players to empty their pockets. Several then realised they were missing valuable items. This exercise was supposedly done to teach them of the importance of being alert at all times.
It’s unclear how well the stunt went down with the Gunners players that night but fans have reacted rather negatively to the lesson.
