Here is every word Mikel Arteta said during his post-match press conference after Arsenal reached the UEFA Champions League final
Mikel Arteta spoke to the press after his Arsenal side beat Atletico Madrid to send them through to the UEFA Champions League final. They will take on either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final set to take place in Budapest.
Arteta had Bukayo Saka to thank for the goal, but it was a whole team effort to take them through past an Atletico Madrid side who had Diego Simeone on the side, clashing with members of the Arsenal staff, even Andrea Berta, formerly of La Rojiblancos.
An emotional night, which ended with some amazing scenes in the stands. Arteta gave his reaction and spoke of his pride for his team, his staff and his players.
Here is every word Mikel Arteta said during the press conference:
Congratulations
Thank you.
Can you just put into words how proud you are of your players, the fans and yourself?
It’s an incredible night, we made history again together, and I cannot be happier, prouder for everybody that’s involved in this football club. The manner that we received outside the stadium was special and unique.
The atmosphere, our support has created the energy, the way he managed every ball with us, they made it special and unique, I never felt that in the stadium. We knew how much it meant to everybody, we put everything, the boys did an incredible job and after 20 years and a second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.
How proud are you of the whole campaign on Beaton, all the way through, it feels like some of your best performances of the season have come in this competition as well?
Yes, because we know how difficult and challenging every opponent is at this level. Atletico, they are an incredible team, the way they compete, the solution they have, the answer they have to everything that you try to do to them immediately, it’s incredible. The reason that they’ve been there, they’ve done an outstanding job there, and the margins are so small, and tonight they go for us.
There was perhaps some surprise at the line-up being the exact same as we saw at the weekend, what was the feeling that made you select that team?
I mean. You see my iPad, the amount of line-ups that I’ve done and put it and change it and turn it again and what about this? And the possible subs and what if they do that with this, at the end it was my gut feeling
I had such a good feeling for what I saw a few days ago against Fulham that I said I need to do that, it was painful because it’s always difficult to leave important players out because they all want to be involved and start these kind of games. You saw all the finishers, the manner that they went into the pitch and how much they helped the team.
What’s going through your head in that moment where the ball loops up from Wilo’s head and it sort of feels like it’s breaking in and Gabi comes out of nowhere and saves the day, what’s going through your head in that moment?
Immediately. My wife, my kids, my friends, my sister and then all the people that are involved at the club because I know immediately what it feels.
You can think and say it’s going to be a beautiful night. But when you look at somebody in the eye, and it has that expression, you look to the supporters, and they are just immensely proud and happy. That’s when our job makes sense because many other times it’s difficult to find the right reason why we do what we do, but when these things happen, then everything that we do obviously is worth it.
I wonder if you could just put some perspective on not just this season’s journey, but in Europe, going back five seasons ago, there was no Europe, then the Europa League, then going back to the Champions League, then getting to a semi and now a final. How do you feel about how hard it is to kind of bit by bit in quite a quick period of time to make that jump?
It’s very tough and difficult, but again, we’re only so aligned on the desire and ambition that we have for the club, and then you have to be a bit lucky; things have to go your way. We put so much work, passion and belief into what we do and today we got awarded to have an incredible day in Budapest in a few weeks.
You spent six and a half years trying to turn this stadium into something ferocious, hostile. Was that tonight kind of the high point?
That box is ticked now, now we have to maintain it, but now we’re going to the level that I think a top club that wants to be fighting consistently for the highest trophies, that’s a must, and I will put it now, and we have to maintain it.
You’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season, and you always say take every game at a time but after the City result last night, after what you’ve done here, is there a feeling that this could really be one of the most historic seasons in the 140 year history of this club?
The high is not too high, the low is not too low. My job is to be quite stable. I’m really going to enjoy it, everybody’s enjoying this moment now. Tomorrow we have to start to prepare for Sunday, we have an incredible game to play against West Ham, a really tough one, and we’re going to have four days to do that. It’s great, let’s enjoy the moment but tomorrow let’s start to live the present.
A few weeks ago it felt very different, there was a sense of fear in this stadium, some of your players looked fatigued. What have you done to change things? What have you had to do? Or is it within them, is it something you sensed that just had to be brought out of them, that it was always there, but they maybe doubted it themselves?
It’s down to them. They have to put on these kind of performances. I can try to convince them and give them love and clarity on what, in my opinion, is the most important thing: to be competitive and give us a chance to win what we want to achieve, but then they have to do it. It’s an incredible group of players and staff. In elite sports, in football in particular, you can live a really difficult day, but if you can work it, maybe you get rewarded, and we certainly did in the last few weeks.
I appreciate you obviously trying to keep your feet on the ground but after that result yesterday at City and now into that final, you must feel as though the momentum is really behind you.
It’s great. Everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything. Let’s use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve are huge, but we have the ability and the conviction to do it.
(Translated from Spanish)
Did you imagine arriving at a Champions League final so soon?
I didn’t imagine it because we were not even in Europe and we have been away from the Champions League for a long time. It’s a big step but we have been getting stronger little by little. The owners have believed in what we wanted to do, they have given us a lot of support, and we have been lucky enough to get it right with the people we have brought in, whether they are staff or players, to start creating little by little.
People have believed in us, our fans have turned to the team and when that happens, these things can happen.
In the first game, you talked about the referees. You didn’t want to talk so much about the second leg. You claimed a possible penalty in favour of Atletico Madrid. I wanted to ask you about the two environments, the first one and the second one. The first question is about the penalty claimed by Atletico Madrid and the second one is about the environment. You said that you had achieved what you wanted in Arsenal and that you valued the Metropolitano. The environment in the stadium.
No, because the question was related to that. If we were going to be able to infect and generate an environment of the level we saw in Madrid when we played there. And we have achieved it. Since the team arrived, the enthusiasm and the energy we have transmitted in the game has been exceptional. I had never experienced it before and I think it has helped us a lot to achieve our objectives.
Is this victory more tactical or emotional for you?
Emotional. Everything that has been prepared before is very good, but you have to make decisions in there. When a lot of things are happening and the margins are very small,
(Back to English)
Massive congratulations to you and the team, the coaching staff. When you took over Arsenal there was a complete shift in the club. Whether that be signing good talent, good talent coming through, and I think everyone for this season has looked at Max Dowman as the new player I just wanted to ask you, was playing Myles Lewis-Skelly this late in the season an intentional wildcard, knowing that teams have not prepared for a silent player? Not just at full-back, but in midfield?
No, it wasn’t an intention. It was just a feeling. And I’ve been tough on him. I talked and he has been very persistent and consistent in his behaviours and in the manner that he’s been knocking on the door constantly to have the right to play. And I think he deserves it and that’s why he plays.
