Arsenal won’t get to keep the Champions League trophy for good if they best Paris Saint-Germain in the tournament final
Arsenal will be unable to retain the Champions League trophy permanently should they overcome Paris Saint-Germain in the final, owing to one crucial regulation change.
The Gunners face the current holders on Saturday, where they are aiming to become the seventh English club to lift the trophy. However, the silverware will not remain in north London indefinitely following any potential victory over the French champions due to UEFA rules.
Back in 2009, the governing body opted to present a replica trophy to each year’s winner with their name engraved upon it, allowing clubs to display it permanently within their museum.
While the victors raise the original trophy aloft after the match, it subsequently returns to UEFA’s possession at their headquarters in Switzerland. In the event of a Gunners triumph, Arsenal may produce replicas of the cup but must clearly identify them as such, with the replica permitted to be no larger than 80% of the actual trophy’s size.
Prior to this rule change, clubs that had won the competition five times in total or three consecutive times were entitled to keep the trophy permanently. The original cup was awarded to Real Madrid following their victory in the first five editions of the competition between 1956 and 1960.
Ajax became the next recipients of a permanent trophy after claiming three successive titles between 1970 and 1973. Bayern Munich similarly achieved three consecutive triumphs from 1974 to 1976, becoming the third club to accomplish that feat.
AC Milan claimed the tournament for a fifth time in 1994, joining an exclusive group, before Liverpool became the only English club to retain the trophy permanently after defeating the Italian giants in the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ in 2005.
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The Reds also hold the distinction of being the last side to keep the trophy in perpetuity prior to the rule change in 2009. As a result, Barcelona’s victory in the 2015 final against Juventus meant the Spanish side were required to return the silverware to UEFA.
Speaking on the eve of the final in Budapest, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta described it as a “privilege” to compete in the showpiece occasion of football’s most prestigious club competition.
“He said: “It’s huge. It’s a massive privilege. You see the impact immediately when you reach the final, how people react, to be there, to be present, to have travelled there, and the demands that you have [from] all of that.
“It’s the most special competition in the world at club level. There’s no question about that. And I really want to enjoy the day, and obviously win it.”
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Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League final where they face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. Fans can watch the game without a TNT Sports subscription by signing up to the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan via Prime Video’s HBO Max channel.
