Arsenal’s bid to win the Champions League for the first time failed as Mikel Arteta’s side lost 4-3 on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal narrowly missed out in the Champions League final (Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has his sights set on becoming a paid member of one of football’s most exclusive clubs. He is the 12th member of an elite group of managers who have represented the British team in Europe.
His name would have been etched in footballing legend alongside the likes of Matt Busby, Brian Clough, Bob Paisley, Sir Alex Ferguson, Tony Barton, Joe Fagan, Rafa Benitez, Roberto Di Matteo, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola.
A win against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest would have changed Arteta’s life forever. Along with his reputation and standing in the game.
That would have put him ahead of Arsene Wenger, who is considered by many to be Arsenal’s best ever manager. But like Wenger before him, Arteta is yet to reap the biggest prize.
Arteta will have to wait, with all of the above honors at stake. Because he became the latest proof of how difficult this competition is to win. What defines true greatness when determining which managers deserve to be inducted into the greatest hall of fame.
Clough does not recall winning the league with Derby County or Nottingham Forest. His genius continues to be measured by the successive European Cups he once won.
Paisley preceded him in doing the same, winning his third crown in 1981, and the following season Burton led Aston Villa to the trophy (with great help from Ron Saunders).
Between 1977 and 1982, England’s teams achieved unprecedented success, winning the European Cup six times.
Arsenal defender Gabriel missed the decisive penalty in the Champions League final against PSG. (Image: (Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images))
However, things changed as no English team was able to win the title again for the next 16 years. Fagan did not play for Liverpool until the English club received a five-year ban from Europe following the Heysel tragedy.
Fergie won just twice in his almost 27 years of unprecedented success with United, but still needed an incredible stroke of luck in the final between Barcelona and Moscow to achieve victory.
But without his two goals in stoppage time at the Camp Nou and the good fortune of siding United in the penalty shootout, Fergie would never have won the European Cup.
For John Terry in 2008, now read Gabriel.
The great Guardiola has just ended his 10-year reign at Manchester City, but he still has one big win left. He spent a mountain of money trying to climb Mount Everest, but kept slipping before he finally reached the top.
Just as Arteta will now have to do, Guardiola first had to suffer the most painful defeat before he could do the job he was originally hired for in Istanbul.
But for now, Arteta and his team will continue to lick their wounds, which will take a long time to heal.
Arsenal players heartbroken after losing to PSG (Image: (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images))
He was within 26 minutes plus stoppage time of club football’s holy grail. That guaranteed him instant iconic status.
There is no question that he has not won a trophy since taking over as manager in 2016, when he led Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years. Nothing and no one can take this away from him.
But if Arteta wants to write his name into Arsenal legend, he needs to win the biggest title and conquer Europe.
History has shown that this is easier said than done – and Arteta is now learning this at his own cost. His team lost one game in the entire competition, but still failed to lift the trophy.
He will never leave Arsenal with the tag of being Europe’s biggest club.
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