Fabian Hürzeler strongly expressed his distaste for Arsenal’s tactics against Brighton earlier this month, and spoke directly to Mikel Arteta afterwards.
Fabian Hürzeler dissatisfied with Arsenal’s tactics (Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Fabian Hürzeler has revealed he texted Mikel Arteta to bury the hatchet because his criticism of Arsenal’s tactics bothered him. The Brighton manager was vocal both before and after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over what he believed was a waste of time by the Premier League leaders.
Hürzeler took aim at the way the Gunners used goal-kicks, set-pieces and throw-ins to disrupt the rhythm of the game. He called on authorities to crack down on time-wasting and blocking during set-pieces, but was quite irritated before, during and after the match on March 4.
In particular, his claim that “I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win in that way” infuriated some observers, who accused the German of sour grapes. Haseler looked to bury his hatchet ahead of Brighton’s trip to Sunderland on Saturday.
“I really respect what Arsenal have achieved so far this season and the way Arteta and his team work. If they win the Premier League, I’ll be the first to congratulate them,” Hürzeler said.
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“I didn’t want to offend anyone, but on the other hand, I kept my word that the day was not satisfactory in some respects, and all the numbers convince me. What I said about wasting time, we need to find clear rules about it.”
“After that, and during the week, I told Mikel that I admired his work. I didn’t want to make that noise. I just wanted to give my opinion on how I felt. It has nothing to do with what they’ve achieved, which is incredible.”
“For me, Arteta is one of the best managers in the world and a role model. But it’s important to speak your mind and not hide it, even if you’re at a small club.”
Mikel Arteta has dismissed criticism of his team (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“That night we played against Arsenal (a team) that worked hard to win that game and did things differently than before. Now we have to find a way to beat them. It’s going to be a different challenge. I texted him and said, ‘I have a lot of respect for everyone at Arsenal.’
“If they win the Premier League, they definitely deserve it, but it’s just an emotional incident for me and I’m a guy who stands by his principles and opinions.
“It has caused a lot of noise, but it is important to follow your opinion. But I told Mikel that I respect (him) very much. Nothing should get in the way between us, and the work continues.”
Arsenal have had great success from corners this season (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Asked if Arteta had responded, Hürzeler said: “Yes. We had a good exchange of views. He shared his opinion and I shared mine. That’s the essence of football, everyone defending their team.”
The Arsenal manager declined to address their exchange in his own press conference. “No, it’s a private conversation,” he said. “Obviously he’s now going public with certain comments he’s made before, which I think says a lot of positive things about him as a person, so I appreciate that as well.”
“I think he’s a great manager. His work at Brighton has been really, really good and that’s a good thing.”
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