Now back from his holiday, the press conference welcoming Arsenal to Singapore gave Mikel Arteta his first opportunity to be asked publicly about Thomas Partey.
Credit to the media for addressing the tough questions, and to Arsenal’s PR team for not shielding the manager from them. A lot has happened since Arteta last worked with the midfielder.
The 32-year-old is no longer an Arsenal player following the expiry of his contract. Days after becoming a free agent, he was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. These charges followed a three-year investigation. While speculation had circulated online for some time, legal restrictions had prevented names from being made public.
Supporters remain divided on how the club handled the situation, especially as reports previously suggested Arsenal were considering offering a contract extension. It is easy in hindsight to say the club should have acted differently, but legally, there were no grounds to suspend a player who had not been charged.
If the CPS had decided there was insufficient evidence, or the allegations were proven false, Arsenal would have been in breach of employment law by assuming guilt without due process. The club could not legally overrule police investigations or act ahead of official findings.
Some fans hoped the manager would go beyond the club’s brief official statement. Others even demanded an apology. But as expected, Arteta referred journalists to the club’s formal response and confirmed he believed the proper process had been followed, answering “100 percent, yes” when asked directly.
There was no apology, nor should one have been expected. This case goes beyond Arteta’s remit. Once senior staff were made aware of police involvement, the matter was handed to Human Resources and legal advisors.
Arsenal, as one of the wealthiest clubs in the country, will have acted on advice from top lawyers. Partey was permitted to train, travel, and play as usual, in order to avoid any claims of bias or prejudice. While Arsenal were not obliged to select him in matchday squads, refusing to register or train him could have exposed the club to claims of discrimination or breach of contract.
Crucially, the police and CPS reportedly requested the matter be kept out of the public eye to protect the integrity of the investigation. Had Arsenal suspended Partey or made misleading public statements, it could have affected the legal process.
By maintaining silence, even now, Arsenal may still be protecting all parties’ rights to a fair and unprejudiced trial.
