Having spent 24 hours settling into his Budapest surroundings, Mikel Arteta visited the Puskas Stadium for his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The boss was asked about injury news, the mood in the camp now we’re Premier League winners, last season’s semi-final between the teams, and the chance to make history by lifting our first ever European Cup, and much more. Here is everything he had to say:
on how he’s feeling going into the game:
Great. The preparation has been really, really good, really focused, really positive. We are here because we have earned the right to be here in the manner that we have played and performed in the competition, and tomorrow on that field we’re going to have to earn the right to win the trophy.
on squad fitness:
[Jurrien Timber] is fit. [To start?] Yes, and Noni as well. The only one [out] is Ben White.
on using last season’s defeat to PSG as motivation:
We certainly use examples and things that we have learnt from those three matches and it’s a lot to take from them, but it’s true that we have evolved in a different way, and they have evolved in a different way. Their scenario is different as well. We took some learnings and some things that we have to do better, and I’m sure that will happen tomorrow.
on how difficult his team selection will be:
It’s because I look around and I see the joy and the desire that all of them have to play this match. We all know that it is the biggest game in football, and everybody wants to be part of that. They all understand what it takes and also how important everybody is to make an impact when it’s needed.
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on Luis Enrique:
He’s always been a reference since he was a player, because he was a very special player. Then when he became a coach, if you look at his journey when he left Spain and he went abroad and when he came back and what he’s done, in particular what he’s done with this PSG club and team, you can see his fingerprints all over it. The identity, the mentality, the way the players behave, the way they play. So he’s been an inspiration and tomorrow we’ll be clashing with each other on that touchline.
on seizing the opportunity of winning the Champions League:
I think it’s the opportunity to own the moment because it’s the second time in our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. In order to do that, we have to play tomorrow with such clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win. We have those three aspects and I’m sure that we’re going to be close to winning.
on if the pressure is off as we’ve won the Premier League:
No, the ambition is bigger. We have won one and we want the second one. That’s all we’ve been talking about. That has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more. The team is capable because we’ve shown it in the last two or three seasons in this competition, and I want the players to be so confident that we’re going to go and do it.
on if Arsene Wenger has been in touch:
No, not directly because you know how Arsene is and he doesn’t want to be in the way, but I know how we all feel. I spoke to a lot of ex-players who have been in this position as well and they are rooting for us. It’s an opportunity for us as a club to write something new that we’ve never done, so that’s what we want to do.
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on if he visualised winning the Champions League as he did the Premier League:
In a really similar way. I think the process and the journey that took us all the way here are remarkable, from the team. We earn it in the manner that we have approached the competition in every game, and the contributions and performances that we have through our players. Tomorrow is the last game to go and win it and bring it home.
on if he’s noticed a difference in his players since they won the league:
They want more. I think going through those moments brings you a different kind of desire because when you lift it, you know exactly how it feels and you want to reproduce that feeling as many times as possible. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that.
on how many line-ups he has considered for this game:
Not that many but there’s still some time to go through things. We have a bit more certainty as well with certain players that could be on that pitch, but in relation to the context of the game and what can happen tomorrow, we need to be ready.
on if we’re ready to make one more big step forward:
When I watched the games back [from last season’s semi], I was very pleased with what I saw and I was even more confident about the feeling I had before about how close and how unlucky we were in a lot of moments not to go through to that final. It’s a different moment, the teams have evolved in certain ways and tomorrow we’ll play a different game, I’m sure.
on the possibility of a league and Champions League double:
It would mean something new for all of us. We know how tough it is in a club like Arsenal to write a new history. That’s the aim and that’s why we are all so excited and we have such a desire to make it happen.
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on if it’s right that PSG are the favourites:
They are defending the trophy, so they were the last ones to have the right to lift that trophy. They are actually the champions and we are here to take that away from them.
on if he’s concerned that his players might see this game as a free hit:
No, because I feel it and we know [winning the league is] done. It’s great, we’ve done it, we earned it, we’ve fought for so long in the Premier League to achieve that after 22 years. Now we have another opportunity to do it and the journey that we have in the competition shows that we are capable of doing that tomorrow. The boys are at the maximum level of desire, for sure.
on how he spends the night before a game:
I hope that, like with any other match, I have a very clear routine. I think the work has to be done already. What’s happening today, what will be discussed tomorrow, how the match is prepared, and that’s it. Tonight I’ll have dinner, go back to my room, find a quiet spot, and go to sleep.
on if he has a special team talk planned tomorrow:
Every match usually has a moment and an end, and tomorrow we have a very special match that comes with our history and the opportunity before us. So sometimes things work out better naturally, especially when the match is a little closer.
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on what will decide the game tactically:
Regarding the [possible] line-ups, there will be far fewer than in [the Atletico Madrid] match. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding four or five players and whether they would be available and for how long. What will happen in the Champions League, it’s very much like that; it’s very tactical. But there’s one key thing, the individual level of the players, and in the end, they’re the ones who decide the matches, and I’m sure tomorrow will be similar.
on if PSG will use a similar tactical approach to the semi-finals:
The same thing I’m sure they’ve done before, but yes, we’ve prepared for possible scenarios and the things they might try to do. More than that, we’ve tried to understand the purpose behind what they’re doing and what they want to achieve to make sure we approach the game the way we want.
on Martin Odegaard:
Martin is himself. He’s someone you can relate to and trust with your life. He’s a professional and probably the best role model we have on that team, and he’s a player who loves the game. He respects all his teammates and loves playing for us. He has all the attributes to lead the team in a way that, in my opinion, is incredible.
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on if he’s reflected on the achievement of getting us to the final:
I’m in the moment, I live here. I want to go out and be with the players and feel the moment and start to realise where we are. Tomorrow is a day to win it. We’ve pulled off some big wins in this competition over the last few years. We have the right to be in this position, which is great, but the last goal is clear and we have to make it happen tomorrow.
on whether Declan Rice’s “it isn’t over” comment typifies our season:
It was a natural reaction; it was what I felt at the time. After that game, that was the feeling I had, and what I could feel from the team. After that, the energy returned, the team started playing with a new freedom because we want to lose a game, and I think we showed great composure and determination to go and win the league.
on having the chance to be seen as one of Europe’s biggest clubs:
It’s clear we have a lot of room for growth, and our history explains that very clearly. That’s why tomorrow is an opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done at this club before, something that will benefit us forever if we achieve it.
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