Merciless Arteta - Arsenal doctor is fired

No rest in North London. Arsenal's title-winning season is already behind them, the club has finally ended a wait of more than two decades for the Premier League crown, and now they have to keep moving forward. It looks set to be a busy few months for the English champions, as the club's hierarchy has decided to act quickly and make a surprising—some would say drastic—decision. Out of nowhere, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Arsenal's head doctor and chief of sports medicine, was dismissed with immediate effect. The former Crystal Palace and Liverpool physician is leaving the club after two years, and Arsenal have already begun searching for his replacement. The large number of injuries this season was one of Arsenal's biggest—if not their only—problems, and player recoveries evidently did not progress as expected, with much of the blame falling on Iqbal. English media have not reported the official reason for his dismissal, despite his reputation as one of the most respected and reliable doctors in sport, but it appears he has been held responsible for the injury crisis and recovery issues. It is certainly a surprising decision after the club's most successful season in over twenty years.

At some point, Arsenal's leadership had seen enough. Immediately after the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, they held a meeting with Iqbal and informed him that his services were no longer required. Interestingly, Arsenal hired a private Spanish physiotherapist with long-standing ties to Mikel Arteta to oversee and evaluate the club's medical department. Joaquín Acebo assembled a special team to conduct a detailed investigation, and it seems Arteta's close friend ultimately played a key role in sealing the doctor's fate. Everything appeared to be working against Iqbal, especially considering Arteta's strong relationship with Tom Allen, Arsenal's head of sports science and football performance. Together, the club's leadership apparently pushed for the doctor's departure. This was not even Acebo's first review of the department; the physiotherapist from Cadiz carried out a similar assessment last season, although no issues with Iqbal were identified at that time. The final decision was communicated by Richard Garlick, Arsenal's sporting director, who was promoted to the role by Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan Kroenke, last September.

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There were differing opinions within the club regarding the causes of Arsenal's injury problems during their championship-winning campaign. Out of 22 players, only Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly avoided injury, while every other squad member spent time on the sidelines. The longest absences affected Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka—arguably some of the most important players in Arteta's system. The injuries nearly derailed Arsenal's season, but the squad's depth ultimately prevented them from paying the ultimate price and missing out on the title once again. Throughout the campaign, people inside the club kept asking the same question: what was the problem? Training methods, team selection, player rotation, and medical care were all examined as possible explanations for the frequency of injuries and the slow recovery times. The first casualty of that investigation was the club doctor, although Arsenal's review of the issue is expected to continue.

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Arsenal played 63 competitive matches across four competitions, as well as five pre-season friendlies, including three tours in the Far East at the end of July. However, the number of matches was not considered the only issue. Arteta's high-intensity training methods are well known in football circles. He believes players should prepare for matches by training at a similar intensity, treating practice games with the same seriousness as official fixtures. That approach ultimately delivered Arsenal's first league title in 22 years and a place in the Champions League final. However, it also took a toll on many players, most notably Jurrien Timber, whose injury will prevent him from participating in the World Cup. For many inside the club, responsibility for these issues fell on Iqbal.

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As Arsenal's head of sports medicine and performance, Dr. Iqbal oversaw the entire medical department. Before joining Arsenal, he spent almost eight years in a similar role at Crystal Palace. Earlier in his career, he worked for Liverpool for more than four years, eventually becoming head of sports medicine there as well. Prior to that, he held positions at Tottenham Hotspur, first with the academy and later with the senior team. At Arsenal, he succeeded Gary O'Driscoll, who left for Manchester United. Iqbal also serves as president of the Football Association Medical Society, an organization that supports sports medicine professionals working in football.