German newspapers and television segments had picked it up almost instantly.
Morning commuters in Munich had paused on pavements to take pictures of Arsenal's players pounding the streets in formation, and within hours the images were everywhere.
"Laufen sie ins Finale oder in einen Marathon?" one article teased, running a wide-angle shot of the team bunched together in training tops, the coach bus idling in the background.
Another commentator on German radio laughed, saying, "Arteta trains his men not for ninety minutes but for forty-two kilometres. This is no football preparation, it is marathon school."
Others were less playful, hinting that the Spaniard's methods were risky, fatigue, even psychological wear, might creep in before Saturday.
Still, the consensus carried a tone of curiosity: Arsenal had come to Munich with intensity in their legs and something unusual in their manager's approach.
