Aubameyang definitely loses his captain’s armband! What is the main reason and who will replace him in this role?

Harsh punishment? Maybe so, but on the other hand we can’t blame the Arsenal manager. Aubameyang broke the team rules and Arteta simply had to show that this is and will be punished severely at his club. So what was the Gabonese international guilty of?

This is what happens when you break team rules. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not feature in Saturday’s fixture between Arsenal and Southampton. Even without him, Mikel Arteta’s charges managed to cope with their opponents and won 3:0.

The London club has already officially announced on its website that Aubameyang will no longer be Arsenal’s captain and will also very likely not start the match against West Ham.

“We expect all our players, especially the captain, to follow the set team rules and work according to our standards that we have all set and agreed,” reads a statement from the London club on its official website.

What exactly is the Gabon international guilty of? According to the latest information, he travelled to France last week after an agreement with the club, only to return a day later than he was supposed to. Moreover, this was not his only disciplinary offence. The former Dortmund canon did not take part in the London derby with Tottenham in March because of another breach of discipline.

Aubameyang received the captain’s armband in 2019, replacing Granit Xhaka in that role. The Swiss midfielder was booed by Arsenal fans then during the substitution, which he then sarcastically waved away.

It’s not yet clear who will replace Aubameyang in that role. One alternative could certainly be striker Alexandre Lacazette, who is in his sixth season in London and has so far served as assistant captain.

However, he is only under contract until the end of June 2022, and the English club’s management has decided not to extend the French striker’s contract and it is possible that he will leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window.

Sources: Arsenal FC, Sport Bible