Arsenal 'sack' key man as Mikel Arteta to lose two staff members

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Arsenal have decided to SACK head doctor Zafar Iqbal - and are also poised to lose Under-21s head coach Max Porter. The Gunners reportedly parted company with Iqbal shortly after the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

According to The Telegraph , the 51-year-old was called to a meeting on June 1 and informed his position had been terminated with immediate effect. One month earlier, it was reported that Gunners' boss Mikel Arteta had enlisted the assistance of Spanish physio Joaquín Acedo.

This move came following a campaign hampered by multiple injuries to crucial players. It remains unclear whether this spell with Acedo had influenced the choice to separate from Iqbal.

When Arsenal were presented with the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park, Dr Iqbal was spotted celebrating with the squad on the pitch. A matter of weeks later, he has been removed from his duties.

It's a significant alteration to make for the Gunners, even if there are still several months until the new campaign. They are also set to lose Porter, the Under-21s coach, who has additionally worked with the senior side.

He is set to join Stoke City following nine years of service in north London across various capacities. He has been in the capital since July 2017, when he began as an Under-9s football coach, before having stints with the Under-13s, Under-17s and Under-19s, until he became the Under-21s assistant coach in July 2022.

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Porter was appointed as manager of the Under-21s last summer, following Mehmet Ali's move to Brentford as assistant first team coach under Keith Andrews. Porter will now join Stoke in a similar role.

He will link up with the Championship outfit as part of Mark Robins' backroom team. Porter is held in extremely high regard in north London, having also contributed to the first team set-up.

He will need every ounce of his experience if he is to make his mark at Stoke. The Potters endured a miserable Championship campaign last season, finishing in a lowly 17th place.

They got off to a promising start and were still occupying a play-off position on matchday 19, but a 4-0 defeat to Sheffield United proved to be the turning point that triggered a dramatic slump in form. Stoke slipped out of the top six and, while a brief resurgence hinted at a late play-off push, their poor performances returned to haunt them.

Robins has since been kept on as manager by the club, and Porter's appointment has been seen as a vote of confidence in the former Coventry City boss. It is understood the ex-Arsenal coach will fill the vacancy left by Paul Nevin, who departed as assistant manager in February.

For now, it remains unclear who will succeed Porter within the academy structure at the club.

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