Arsenal coach suspended by UEFA for ‘insulting’ incident days after joining club | Football | Sport

Arsenal youth coach David Horseman has been slapped with a suspension by UEFA within two weeks of joining the club. Horseman only recently made the switch from Manchester United, where he briefly served as assistant manager for the under-21s side. Arsenal confirmed the UEFA Pro Licence-qualified coach’s arrival on September 19, but he has already found himself in hot water.

UEFA have issued him a one-match ban for “insulting players or others present” during the recent UEFA Youth League match between the young Gunners and Athletic Club. Arsenal‘s under-19s lost the match 3-1 in Bilbao in what was Horseman’s first game with the team in his new role as elite player development coach. A brace from Manex Lozano Carmona and Elijah Gift’s stoppage-time penalty condemned the Premier League club’s youth team to defeat despite an equaliser from Brando Nyle Bailey-Joseph. Horseman had been due to oversee the under-19s in their next European match against Olympiacos this Wednesday (October 1) and it is unclear if Arsenal can appeal against his ban.

When he was unveiled by the north London club on September 19, Arsenal said that Horseman will work under the guidance of head of academy coaching Luke Hobbs and academy manager Per Mertesacker and work “closely with our academy coaches” including under-21s head coach Max Porter to manage the under-19s team in the UEFA Youth League and the EFL Trophy.

Horseman has worked in all four divisions of English football and previously held coaching positions at first-team and academy level at Southampton, Watford, Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers and Man United.

Speaking about life at Arsenal so far to the club’s official website, he said this week: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, obviously I came straight in, I think two days later we went to Bilbao to see the first (Youth League) game, and we’ve had four or five games since I’ve been in, in the two weeks.

“Everyone’s so welcoming, Albert (Stuivenberg) has been class, Max (Porter); the academy are doing some really, really good stuff so it’s been the best decision I made to join, that’s for sure.

“The detailed knowledge and care for the lads from the Academy, from Per (Mertesacker) down, that’s blew me away. I’ve been lucky, I’ve had some really good jobs, but never from the top have I felt so supported so early on, so that’s made me feel at home.

“I’m really proud to be at Arsenal and to lead the team and with all the staff, to try and give the players, because it’s all about the players and not really about me, to give them the best chance of having good careers in the game.”

Horseman added of the difficulties of his new job: “What you probably learn is that Bilbao and Olympiacos have an under-19s team; we don’t. We have under-18s and under-21s, so we all play the Arsenal way and we try to play as close to the first team as possible.

“The boys are not always in the same training group, so although that sounds probably not like a big deal, relationships are created over a period of time, you’ve got to look at how good the relationships are in our first team to see they’ve created them and they train them every day.

“The boys get plenty of different challenges in the European games with the referees, with the heats, Bilbao was very warm where we played. It’s not stuff we have to deal with a huge amount once we get out of the Summer months in England!

“All those things put into the mix is just brilliant for players’ learning and I’m really looking forward to learning myself. This will be a big education for me this first year, hopefully, so I can help the players more in future years.

“It’s been like Christmas has come early for me, I love it. Very grateful, really appreciative of the opportunity and I’ve got to make sure I do a good job for Arsenal now.”

Academy manager and former first-team defender Mertesacker said when Horseman was appointed: “We are really pleased to welcome David into our academy. He has a detailed knowledge of the game and will bring his wealth of footballing experience into the club to help progress both our staff and players alike.

“As a person, he will fit into our environment and culture perfectly, and will continue to help us drive our vision for the future. I look forward to seeing how he brings his skills to life on and off the pitch, and, in turn, help to challenge and care for our boys.”