One rule means Arsenal will not retain the Champions League trophy if they snatch the winner from Paris Saint-Germain
Champions League trophy will not be permanently stored at Emirates Stadium (Image: 2020 Getty Images)
Arsenal will not be able to defend the Champions League trophy if they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final due to a key rule change. The Gunners face the current holders on Saturday as they aim to become the seventh England team to win the competition.
However, according to UEFA regulations, even if they defeat the French champions, the trophy will not be permanently stored in north London. In 2009, the governing body decided to hand out a replica trophy with their name engraved on it to the competition winner each year, allowing the club to permanently display it in a museum.
The winner will hold up the original after the match, but the trophy will then be stored at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. In the event of a win, the Gunners will be able to create a replica of the title, but the trophy will only be allowed to be up to 80% of the actual size and must be marked as such.
Before the rule change, clubs that won five trophies in total or three in a row could keep the cup permanently. The original club was acquired by Real Madrid, who won the first five editions of the competition from 1956 to 1960.
Ajax won the title three years in a row from 1970 to 1973, becoming the next team to be handed the trophy. Bayern Munich also won three consecutive championships from 1974 to 1976, becoming the third team to win three years in a row.
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AC Milan joined the elite club with their fifth title in 1994, as they defeated the Italian giants in the 2005 ‘Miracle of Istanbul’, making Liverpool the only English team to permanently retain the trophy.
The Reds also have the honor of being the last team to retain the trophy permanently before the 2009 rule changes. So Barcelona’s victory in the 2015 final against Juventus meant the Spanish side had to return the trophy to UEFA.
Arsenal have already won one title this season
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Speaking ahead of the final in Budapest, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta said it was a “privilege” to be playing in the final of football’s most prestigious club tournament. He said, “It’s a big deal. It’s a great honor.”
“When you get to the finals, you immediately see the impact, the reaction of people, being there, being there, traveling there and the demands 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 this day and of course I want to win.”
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Arsenal have progressed to the UEFA Champions League final, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30th. Fans can watch the games without a TNT Sports subscription by signing up for the HBO Max Basic with Ads plan through the HBO Max channel on Prime Video.
