"Shameful decision" – Piers Morgan slams Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for 'disgusting' treatment of Aubameyang
Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was removed as club captain on Tuesday. The Gunners confirmed on their website that Aubameyang's disciplinary issues led to him losing the armband.
Former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery appointed Aubameyang as club captain after Granit Xhaka was stripped of the armband in November 2019. Mikel Arteta decided to let the Gabonese striker continue in the leadership role after taking charge of the north London club later that year.
Aubameyang has now fallen out of favor with the current Arsenal manager due to his repeated disciplinary issues. The Gabonese striker was dropped from the team for Saturday's clash against Southampton due to disciplinary issues.
Aubameyang had faced disciplinary issues earlier at the club as well. He missed the north London derby in March for turning up late. Last weekend's decision seemed to have caused a stir at the club, with Arteta removing Aubameyang as Arsenal captain this week. He has also been suspended internally for the game against West Ham United, the Gunners confirmed.
Arteta's decision has been met with mixed reactions from Gunners fans, with Piers Morgan having a particularly radical take on the decision. He slammed the Arsenal manager for treating such an important player with less guile.
Morgan sent out a tweet in the immediate aftermath of the club's statement. The famous Arsenal fan tweeted:
"Shameful decision by Arteta. What a disgusting way to treat a man who went - with the club’s full knowledge & permission - to help his sick mother."
Shameful decision by Arteta. What a disgusting way to treat a man who went - with the club’s full knowledge & permission - to help his sick mother. twitter.com/skysportsnews/…
Morgan's comments about Aubameyang's mother stem from the news that the player was in France to meet his mother for personal reasons. According to the same reports, the player delayed his return to England by several hours, but managed to report for training on time.
However, COVID-19 protocols meant that the 32-year-old's late return to England ruled him out of training, with the club having to send him home all the same.
Morgan took another swipe at Arteta over Aubameyang suspension decision
If fans thought they had seen the end of Morgan's frustrations, they were wrong. Mikel Arteta's press conference confirmed that Aubameyang will miss the mid-week clash against West Ham United due to an internal suspension. It irked Piers Morgan yet again and he tweeted this time, saying:
"What a jumped-up Pep-light pipsqueak. No proper manager would publicly humiliate one of his best players like this - especially when his own performance as manager has been so thoroughly unimpressive."
What a jumped-up Pep-light pipsqueak. No proper manager would publicly humiliate one of his best players like this - especially when his own performance as manager has been so thoroughly unimpressive. twitter.com/chriswheatley_…
While Morgan's first tweet was reactionary and limited to Aubameyang's personal situation, the second tweet was bordering on insensitive.
It is ironic to point that out since Morgan has accused Arteta of lacking the same. For Morgan to take a dig at another professional's work to defend an entirely different situation may not have reflected him in the best light.