FANS fumed as a hydration break was called during Arsenal’s pre-season friendly at Girona.
The first half was momentarily paused on 30 minutes to allow players to grab a drink.
Arsenal were in action at Girona to kick off their pre-season schedule Credit: Getty
Mikel Arteta’s side played in 28 degree heat in Spain Credit: Getty
Despite kicking off at 8pm local time, the match began in around 28 degree heat, with the temperature having reached 35 earlier in the day.
The break enabled stars such as Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Riccardo Calafiori, all in the Gunners’ starting XI, to take on water.
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But fans at Girona’s Montilivi stadium were not happy, whistling as players made their way towards the touchline.
Boss Mikel Arteta gave his players a team talk as they drank.
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The stoppage came immediately after Arsenal had gone 2-0 up, new boy Christos Tzolis adding to Kai Havertz’s opener.
Hydration breaks were an unpopular addition at this year’s World Cup in North America
No matter the temperature, three-minute pauses were taken midway through each half in order to allow players to take on fluids.
Some TV broadcasts around the world used them to show adverts, although this was not the case in the UK.
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Arsenal have been taking part in warm weather training all week in Catalonia, ahead of today’s match.
Arteta, 44, explained that different schedules have been devised for his players depending on their World Cup workload.
The Spaniard, 44, said: “It is all programmed. We have three different pre-seasons with different groups.
“But the most important thing is not the programme, it is the attitude behind the programme.
“When I speak to Kai, he is desperate to come back tomorrow and Viktor the same and Piero the same.
“And when I speak to Declan, he is already talking, ‘OK, if I come this day, then I can play (then)’, and the rest the same. And that is much more powerful than the programme.
“We want to adapt to the context, which is different. There are a lot of opportunities within them because most of them have great experiences throughout the tournament and have really positive performances this past season as well.”
Max Dowman is challenged by Alex Moreno during the match Credit: Getty
Ben White chases Kim Min-su of Girona Credit: Getty
