Arsenal hopes to overcome 2006 Champions League pain: 'We have the same DNA'
Arsenal is preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in the hope of erasing the pain from the 2006 loss. Robert Pires shares his memories and belief in the team.
Arsenal hope next Saturday will erase the pain from the 2006 Champions League final. In the build-up to the final against Paris Saint-Germain, Robert Pires reminisced about the loss to Barcelona. 'It was a terrible moment.' Twenty years ago, Arsenal faced Barcelona in the Champions League final. After an early red card for Jens Lehmann, The Gunners opened the scoring thanks to Sol Campbell, but in the end, goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti helped Barcelona win. 'It was a terrible moment for me,' Pires, who played for Arsenal from 2000 to 2006, told the Daily Mail. 'It was a difficult time for us. I bought tickets for all family members. Everyone is present. When we returned to London, we were all very sad.' Two decades later, Arsenal has a new opportunity. Pires sees similarities between the current team and the team at that time. 'I think this Arsenal has the same DNA as we did before,' said the former France international. 'I see similarities between the coaches: Arsène Wenger and Mikel Arteta. And I used to play with Patrick Vieira; for me, now Declan Rice is that kind of player.' Pires has played for both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain and will be an analyst for Saturday's match. Samir Nasri was also appointed as an analyst but withdrew due to personal reasons. At the time Arsenal lost the Champions League final, Eberechi Eze was just seven years old. The English player joined Arsenal last summer, but has been a fan of the club since childhood. 'The Champions League final is what every kid dreams of,' Eze told Sky Sports. 'Am I confident? Sure. It feels like we can achieve something very meaningful for us and for those around us. To now be standing in the final, it's special,' Eze said, admitting that winning the Premier League has given Arsenal more motivation. 'We are just a group of people praying to win the Champions League. If that happens, it will be special.' Eze has no experience playing in a Champions League final, but Kai Havertz does. As a Chelsea player, he scored the only goal in the final against Manchester City in 2021. 'At that time, we were definitely the underrated team,' Havertz recalled of that match. Currently, Arsenal is also rated lower than Paris Saint-Germain, but Havertz has a different view. 'I don't think so. We have been participating in this tournament for many years. The fact that we won the Premier League gave us confidence. We will defeat them.'
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