Mikel Arteta has clarified that his remarks on Arsenal’s decision to cut 60 jobs were a repetition of the club’s explanation, not his personal view. The Arsenal manager made the comments during a pre-match press conference before the game against Nottingham Forest, where he was asked about the recent staff reductions.
Earlier this week, The Telegraph’s Sam Dean reported that Arsenal planned to reduce their workforce by 60 positions, primarily affecting non-football roles. The cuts followed an analysis by management consultants Boston Consulting Group, focusing on the club’s business operations. These changes reportedly do not impact the footballing departments or the Arsenal Foundation.
When asked about the job cuts, Arteta said, “Well said, first, because this question is not for me. I was explained about the exercise and analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve, to improve, some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles and keep investing to achieve what we want to achieve, and the success that we want to create.” He added, “So that’s been explained (to me). Obviously I’m not the right person to answer to that question, that’s for sure, and hopefully everybody will respect that.”
His comments were widely misinterpreted by the media as a personal defence of the job cuts, but Arteta repeatedly stressed that he was merely relaying what the club had told him. As the manager responsible for the team, he is not involved in the business decisions regarding staffing.
The journalist who raised the question acknowledged the difficulty of addressing it with Arteta instead of someone directly responsible like Richard Garlick, who led the staff consultation. Garlick informed the affected employees of the cuts during a call on Wednesday.
The confusion seems to stem from the media’s choice to frame Arteta’s repetition of the club’s rationale as an endorsement. Arsenal’s off-field restructuring is a business decision, and Arteta’s role remains focused on the football side.
This clarification comes amid ongoing discussions about how football clubs manage financial pressures and operational efficiency. Arsenal’s approach involves reducing costs in support roles to maintain investment in the squad and long-term objectives, according to the club’s explanation shared with Arteta.
At the moment, no further comments have been issued by Arsenal’s management beyond the job cut announcement and the confirmation that football operations will not be directly affected.
According to Yahoo Sports.
