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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed he received an apology from Stan Kroenke after the Super League fiasco. The Gunners were part of the 12 clubs forming the breakaway league but pulled out of it within 48 hours.
The Super League was set to replace the Champions League for 20 clubs across Europe after 12 clubs joined hands to create the breakaway league. However, fans around the world were not happy with the move, and all six Premier League clubs backed out.
Mikel Arteta was talking to the media when he confirmed Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke's apology. The Gunners manager claims he received an apology from the management and all involved in the process as well.
"Yes [I did]. Starting from Vinai, the ownership, and everybody that is involved in the process. All of them with the right intentions to defend the club and put the club in the best possible position for now and for the future but accepting that the way it's been handled obviously has had terrible consequences and that it was a mistake," Arteta said, as reported by The Daily Mirror.
On Kroenke's apology, Arteta said:
"[He apologized to me] for disturbing the team by doing that, not having the capacity or the ability to communicate in a different way earlier and to explain the reasons why and pass on that message to the players."
When did the Arsenal manager find out about The Super League?
Arsenal and the other clubs involved announced their decision to create the new league late on Sunday night. The owners and management of all clubs involved knew about the breakaway league, but it was kept away from the players and managers.
Mikel Arteta claims he learned about the breakaway league on Sunday, just hours before the news got leaked to the media. He said:
"I found out just a little bit before the news was leaked. And then everything was completely out of control and the world reacted in a really unified manner. It shows that the soul of this sport belongs to the fans and that's it. When the fans have to come out and talk, they've done it really loud and clear and they sent probably the strongest message that has ever been sent in the football world."
Arsenal take on Everton on Friday night in the Premier League before facing Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final next week.
