Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed details about his relationship with manager Mikel Arteta during his time at Emirates Stadium.
Aubameyang signed with the North London club in January 2018 after transferring from Borussia Dortmund. Throughout his time at Arsenal, the Gabonese striker scored 92 goals and provided 20 assists in 163 appearances.
However, their relationship soured during the 2021-2022 season, leading to Aubameyang’s departure after his contract was terminated.
In an interview with The Athletic, Aubameyang expressed disappointment in Arteta, claiming he expected support from his manager instead of feeling ‘killed’ after making a mistake. The incident in question involved Aubameyang traveling to France to bring his sick mother back to London for medical treatment.
“My mistake. I should have come back the night before but I arrived in the morning. I didn’t tell them that I would miss the flight because I was preoccupied with my mum’s stuff [medical examinations], I went directly to a team meeting.
“Everything was normal. After that, he [Arteta] said, ‘Come with me.’ This is where he started shouting. He said I could not do this because I was the captain and it was not acceptable.”
“He said I gave him a knife in his back; I don’t know why he said that. I was really p**sed off because it was not true and he knew why I flew. He knew the reason and what was happening, he knew I was struggling that year. I was expecting help from him, not killing me like this.”
Reportedly, Arteta was not pleased with the timing of Aubameyang’s return from France, which added further strain to their relationship.
