Mikel Arteta said it’s ‘all sorted’ between Declan Rice and Arsenal assistant manager Albert Stuivenberg after the pair were involved in a heated row at half-time of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win at Chelsea.
The midfielder clashed in the tunnel with Stuivenberg, known as ‘AirPod Albert’, and is believed to have claimed he ‘doesn’t know what the hell he’s on about’ before adding ‘oh for f***s sake’ in an expletive-laden rant during the semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Gunners defender Gabriel intervened in the row, placing himself in the middle of the pair, though Rice continued to shout and angrily gesticulate by shaking his head and throwing his arms up in the air.
A video clip showed the pair arguing in the tunnel, before Stuivenberg eventually left the scene.
The pair did embrace when the England man was substituted off in the 82nd minute.
On the incident, Arteta said: ‘(It’s) all sorted, all good.’
When asked if it showed Rice’s will to win, he added: ‘Yes, and the good thing is that by the time I found out the problem was resolved so that’s very good.’
Arteta and the 55-year-old Stuivenberg struck up a rapport when studying for their UEFA A coaching licenses in Cardiff with the Football Association of Wales.
His playing career ended when he was 19, succumbing to the after-effects of a freak injury he suffered tumbling out of bed as a teenager.
The Dutchman turned instead to coaching, spending 13 years in the academy at Rotterdam-based Feyenoord.
During that time, he helped bring through a host of stars including future Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.
Stuivenberg progressed to work with the Dutch national youth teams and Manchester United, where he was under Louis van Gaal. Stints at Belgian side Genk and Wales followed before he joined the Gunners.
In January 2022 he took charge of Arsenal against Manchester City while Arteta had to isolate after contracting Covid-19.
