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Ex-Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall reignites Emma Hayes spat

Former Arsenal coach Jonas Eidevall has said he is "disappointed" Emma Hayes has not reached out to him since the pair's altercation during his side's 1-0 win over Chelsea in last season's League Cup final.

Hayes, then manager of Chelsea, accused Eidevall of "male aggression" on the touchline after an altercation with midfielder Erin Cuthbert as she went to take a throw-in in the closing stages of the match in March 2024.

Hayes also appeared to shove Eidevall after the final whistle as the Arsenal manager went to shake hands.

In response, Eidevall said it was "irresponsible" of Hayes to label the incident as she did.

Hayes left Chelsea at the end of last season to take charge of the United States women's national team, while Eidevall and Arsenal parted ways at the start of this season after a poor start to their campaign.

He was appointed coach of San Diego Wave on Tuesday, and when asked about the incident and his relationship with Hayes by Swedish newspaper Sportbladet, Eidevall said: "The reaction after the match, when she gave me a little push, that was a non-event for me.

"I can live with that. I understand those who say that if it had been the other way around, what would have happened to me then? But that's so far from my reality, I would never have done that, so I put that aside.

"However, the comments after the match, when the adrenaline had subsided, I was very disappointed. Very disappointed. And I am also very disappointed that she was not able to send a message or make a call and say that something went wrong."

Eidevall also said he was disappointed that Hayes had not reached out to him since the incident.

"No, and that's what I mean when I say we can go from having a good relationship to having no relationship. I won't be the one to reach out either, because I don't think I've done anything wrong or crazy in the situation."

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.