Arsenal land at Capodichino at 21:40, cancel eve-of-match press conference
The Gunners arrived in Napoli three hours behind schedule, forcing the club to scrap the planned press conference with Arteta and Calafiori at the Maradona.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal landed at Capodichino airport at 21:40 on Tuesday 8 September, three hours later than planned, leaving their Napoli trip complicated before Wednesday 9 September's kick-off.
The delay had a direct knock-on effect on the official schedule. Arsenal were unable to fulfil their UEFA media obligations and cancelled the press conference planned at the Maradona, which was due to feature Arteta and Calafiori. Accredited reporters got no preview quotes, only a pre-match schedule overturned by the late-night arrival.
Read also Writer De Giovanni says Napoli must lose to Arsenal
After landing, the London club headed for the Voco Nola hotel at Vulcano Buono, a base away from the city centre chosen for logistics and pre-match isolation, though reached at an hour that left little room for routine or media duties.
On Wednesday evening, at 21:00 CET at the Maradona, Arsenal begin their Champions League League Phase campaign regardless, arriving as last season's finalists and on the back of three wins from three in the Premier League. The stadium will not be sold out — around 45,000 tickets sold out of a 54,726 capacity — and the match remains classified as high-risk for public order, with police on alert for the arrival of 1,500 Arsenal supporters. Three hours of delay and a cancelled press conference do not change what happens on the pitch: from here, the game will have to do the talking.
Source: AreaNapoli
Leggi questa notizia in italiano →
Related
Napoli named among world's 20 most attractive sport employers
Naples orders alcohol and glass ban in centre for Napoli-Arsenal
Sports judge fines Lautaro €1,500, clears him over Marín elbow
