Arsenal will not face disciplinary action from UEFA after being forced to scrap their pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's Champions League opener against Napoli, according to reports.
Mikel Arteta's side, beaten finalists to Paris Saint-Germain in last season's competition, travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to begin their campaign against the reigning Serie A champions. However, the build-up to the fixture was thrown into disarray when the club's flight to Italy was significantly delayed.
UEFA rules require all participating clubs to ensure their squads arrive at the host city in time to meet media commitments the day before kick-off. Arteta had been scheduled to face the press at 7:15pm BST on Tuesday, but air traffic control problems in the UK meant Arsenal's departure was pushed back substantially.
With the team not expected to touch down in Naples until around 9:30pm local time, the club made the call to cancel the press conference altogether, judging it impossible to fulfil the obligation given the circumstances.
The governing body's own regulations state that "the clubs must arrange for their teams to arrive on-site by the evening before the match concerned at the latest, and in time to fulfil their media obligations the day before the match." On paper, this left Arsenal exposed to potential punishment from UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
However, reports indicate that no sanction is expected. The mitigating factor of the air traffic control disruption—an issue entirely beyond the club's control—is understood to have persuaded UEFA that action would be unwarranted in this instance.
The travel chaos comes at an inconvenient moment for Arsenal, who are eager to put their focus squarely on football matters as they launch their bid for a maiden Champions League title. Having fallen short against PSG last term, the north London club will view this season's competition as another genuine opportunity to end their long wait for European club football's biggest prize.
Napoli, freshly crowned as Italy's top-flight champions, represent a formidable opening test. Antonio Conte's side head into the tie full of confidence following their domestic triumph, and a raucous atmosphere is anticipated at the Maradona as they aim to make home advantage count against one of the Premier League's strongest sides.
Despite the disrupted preparations, Arsenal will still have had time to conduct their usual on-pitch training and tactical planning once they arrived in Naples, even if the media duties were curtailed. Arteta's players will be keen to ensure the logistical hiccup does not translate into any lapse in focus once the action gets underway.
The Gunners have invested heavily in recent transfer windows in pursuit of sustained success on multiple fronts, and a positive result away from home against the Serie A champions would represent a strong statement of intent for their European ambitions this term.
Attention will now turn fully to the pitch, with both sets of supporters anticipating a compelling contest between two sides with genuine European pedigree and lofty aspirations for the campaign ahead.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.