The Telegraph reported that Iqbal was called to a meeting with Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick on June 1 and informed that his contract was being terminated with immediate effect, in the aftermath of the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The decision came as a shock to Iqbal and to others in the medical department, who had not been made aware it was coming.
Iqbal joined Arsenal in February 2024, replacing Gary O'Driscoll who had left for Manchester United after 15 years at the club. He held senior roles previously at Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient, and also serves as chair of the FA Medical Society. His departure leaves a position considered central to the club's management of player availability across what was a demanding 63-game season.
The timing is further complicated by the revelation that Arteta had enlisted Spanish physiotherapist Joaquín Acedo — a close personal associate — to conduct an independent review of Arsenal's injury situation during the season, at a point when key players including Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz had all missed significant time. Acedo was present with the squad in Budapest for the final. Whether his involvement influenced the decision to remove Iqbal has not been confirmed.
Arsenal are also set to lose Under-21 head coach Max Porter, who joins Stoke City as part of Mark Robins' backroom staff after nine years at the club. Porter arrived in July 2017 as an Under-9s coach and progressed through the youth ranks before being appointed Under-21s manager last summer. He will join Stoke, who finished 17th in the Championship, in a senior coaching capacity.