Arsenal

Alex Howell
Football reporter

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During a wide-ranging interview, Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke has reflected on his relationship with manager Mikel Arteta and how the club picked him.

Giving a manager their first senior job in football is always a risk, but Kroenke says Arteta's character made it clear that he was the right candidate to succeed Unai Emery in December 2019.

"Anybody that gets a chance to be around Mikel, you can buy into what he's selling pretty easily," Kroenke said.

"So I don't want to give myself or my father [Stan Kroenke, founder and chairman of KSE and co-chair of Arsenal] any credit.

"I think Mikel and his staff and our players are the ones that earned those rights to have the patience in those moments by the amount of work and energy they were putting in behind the scenes."

Arteta won the 2020 FA Cup but finished eighth in a league affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant games were played behind closed doors.

"I don't know if I would ever acknowledge it, or Mikel or anybody - there was something about Mikel having a little bit of what I would say 'space' during Covid when there weren't fans around." Kroenke said.

"There were some growing pains that went on during matches, different moments, and obviously we won the FA Cup, but to not have that extra pressure of fans being on top of you at different points in time when we were going through different growth phases was probably something I don't think any of us would acknowledge in the moment.

"But, looking back I think we can say 'maybe that was a little bit of a benefit'."

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Arsenal's Bukayo Saka says Saturday's Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain will be decided on "moments and a bit of quality" and "which team is better organised".

Much of the build-up to the final has been billed as PSG's free-flowing attack against the Gunners' watertight defensive line, with the competition's highest scorers coming up against its meanest defence in Budapest.

"I think we have had a week to recover and prepare for this game," Saka told Arsenal's pre-match news conference.

"A game like this is not going to be decided in minutes. It is going to be decided on moments and a bit of quality and which team is better organised, I believe.

"I feel like we're a very tight-knit team and we get on with each other very well. We are willing to fight for each other on and off the pitch. Hopefully, tomorrow night that will give us an advantage as well."

Saka has brought the dreams of so many Gunners fans to life in his journey from joining the club as a seven-year-old to being a key part of the side who have already won a Premier League title for the first time in 22 years and who now stand on the verge of European glory.

On his relationship with the fans, he added: "Personally, I know exactly what it means to them. I have been here on this journey loving this club, seeing the ups and seeing the downs. We felt it when we won the Premier League and how much it meant to the supporters.

"We saw loads of videos and I think the parade is going to be the first time we see a mass gathering of all the Arsenal fans.

"We are all excited but at the same time we are trying to stay focused on this game. It is a massive opportunity to do something special. It will probably make the parade more crazy."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Champions League final against Paris St-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest (17:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta confirmed both Jurrien Timber and Noni Madueke are fit to start Saturday's final, while his only confirmed absentee is Ben White.

• On the chance to follow up winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years with Arsenal's first ever Champions League: "Great, the preparation has been really good, really focused, really positive. We are here because we earned the right to be here. In the manner that we have played and performed in the competition and tomorrow on that field we are going to have to earn the right to go and win the trophy."

• Will he use previous defeats by PSG as motivation?: "We certainly use examples and things that we learned from those matches and there is a lot to take from there. But it is true that we have evolved in a different way and they have evolved in a different way. Their scenario is different as well. We took some learnings and things that we have to do better and I am sure that will happen tomorrow."

• Has winning the Premier League lifted the pressure slightly before the Champions League final?: "No, the ambition is bigger, we have one and we want the second one. That is all we have been talking about. There has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more."

• On whether Arsenal are the underdogs: "They are defending the trophy and they are the champions and we are here to take that away from them."

• Arteta was full of praise for PSG boss Luis Enrique, who was a team-mate in his young days at Barcelona: "He was a very special player and then he became my coach. If you look at his journey, what he has done, he has been an inspiration. He has always been a reference since he was a player because he was a very special player. Then, when he became a coach, and if you look at his journey when he left Spain and went abroad and came back, what he has done, in particular what he has done with this PSG club and team, you can see his fingerprints all over it."

• On this being the first Champions League final in 20 years for the club and the importance of seizing the opportunity to win: "I think it is the opportunity to own the moment because, as you said, it is the second time in our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. In order to do that, we have to play tomorrow with such clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win. If we have those three aspects, I am sure we are going to be close to winning."

• On the difficulty of picking his team: "It's because I look around and see the joy and desire they all have to play this match. Everyone wants to be a part of the game."

• What it would mean to win the Champions League: "It will mean something new for all of us, we know how tough it is at a club like Arsenal to write new history but that is the aim and why we are all excited and want to make it happen."

Listen to live commentary of the Champions League final on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

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Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

One of the big things that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has to decide before the Champions League final is what to do at right-back.

In this team picture in the Champions Festival in Budapest, Ben White is in the starting XI.

However, White is ruled out with a knee ligament injury and Cristhian Mosquera has been playing there in the past couple of weeks.

That is because first-choice full-back Jurrien Timber has had a long-term injury and he has not played for Arsenal since the middle of March.

Arteta also played Martin Zubimendi at right-back in the final league game at Crystal Palace as he attempts to find a solution before Saturday's showdown with Paris St-Germain.

Timber is here with the squad but it's not clear if he will be fit enough to start, even if he is available for Arteta to pick, after being out for so long.

Send us your pics and stories from your trip to Budapest

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Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique expects Saturday's Champions League final against Arsenal to be "a very close call" with neither team favourites to win in Budapest.

Enrique's men are bidding for back-to-back titles, while the Gunners hope to win the competition for the first time.

"I don't think there is a favourite - I am being honest with you," Enrique said. "For us, I think the devil's in the detail.

"It will be a very close call. We have to give it our all for 90 minutes, but also enjoy those 90 minutes."

The former Barcelona boss added that he was "not surprised" Arsenal won the Premier League this season and they were "absolutely" worthy of the title.

"They were the best team in the Premier League - the most consistent," he said. "It wasn't always easy with Manchester City on their tails."

On how his squad have prepared for the final: "If we were to just talk about the training sessions, for me, I'm really looking at managing the rest time.

"For prep, we have spent time analysing an opponent. It is an opponent we know very well. We played against them last year and the year before.

"There are little things we can fine-tune. I think we can tweak our performance up front and down the back as well."

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter in Budapest

I went to the official fan festival to have a look at how the preparations are going for the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal.

The event which is taking place in Heroes Square is full of different things for supporters to do.

One of the busiest attractions at the festival is the stage where supporters can have their picture taken with the Champions League trophy.

It's extremely hot in Budapest but fans from both sides are in good spirits before this massive game.

We asked for your tales and pics from your travels and to hear about how you're soaking up the atmosphere in Budapest before Saturday's Champions League final.

And we also asked those who have not made the trip how you will be spending your Saturday for the big game.

Here are some of your pictures and stories so far...

Ed and Matt: 7am flight from Heathrow to Munich on a plane loaded with Arsenal fans, we couldn't believe everyone had picked the same mad route as us. When we landed and they skipped off to their connecting flight to Budapest, we realised that maybe there was a more efficient route than over seven hours of train hopping through Salzburg and Vienna (with an overnight stop in Gyor). No regrets! COYG.

Simon K: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (though not in that order) Flew out to Vienna first thing and now on a train to Budapest!!

Simon: Heading for Budapest with my friend and, on the way, going to Rome and Geneva.

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

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"The one we don't have." That was Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke's response when asked whether he would rather have the Premier League or the Champions League crown.

The American has been flying back and forth from the USA as the Gunners secured the top-flight title for the first time in 22 years.

But with that now in the bag, he was asked about his preference as Arsenal prepare to face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.

"Which one? The one we don't have. Champions of England sounds pretty good and champions of Europe could sound even better, especially with the double tied to it," he told reporters, including BBC Sport.

Immediately after answering the question, Kroenke's thoughts moved to how Arsenal can continue to keep winning.

"We think we have a chance here. We have vey strong foundations in place to continue to build and try to sustain," he added.

"Getting the foundations in place is usually the hardest part of the journey. now we have all this, it is about trying to stay at the top knowing everyone is trying to climb the mountain after you."

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Arsenal have arrived safely in Hungary - are you making the trip to see if the Gunners can win their first Champions League? We want your tales and pics from your travels and to hear about how you're soaking up the atmosphere.

And if you're not lucky enough to be in Budapest, we still want to know where you're watching from and how you're preparing for Saturday's showdown against Paris St-Germain.

Get in touch with your images and stories here

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Before the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, Arsenal players Leandro Trossard, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze have been talking about what winning the trophy would mean to them.

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The former coach of Arsenal's Piero Hincapie and Paris St-Germain's Willian Pacho is excited to attend the Champions League final on Saturday and watch the two battle for European football's most coveted prize.

The centre-backs played for Miguel Angel Ramirez while at Independiente del Valle in Ecuador and were team-mates for a year before Hincapie joined Talleres in 2020.

The Ecuador internationals went on to play one another again when Pacho was at Eintracht Frankfurt and Hincapie was at Bayer Leverkusen two seasons ago, but now they will compete against one another in the Champions League final.

"It's crazy," said Ramirez on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast. "They made their debut in the first team with me and now they are playing together in the Champions League final.

"They are competitive animals [and have been] since they were in the academy. Piero [Hincapie] especially, he was under-18 when he joined us in the first team, and was really good on the ball and had good understanding.

"Both of them are really good competitors and beasts.

"I'm in touch with them, and I got a text from Pacho a few weeks ago asking if I was coming to the final, but I said I couldn't make it because I'm coaching.

"But I got sacked a few weeks ago, so straight after I texted him and said: 'I'm in and I'm going!'

"I am so happy because it's a great opportunity for me to see them play and it's a positive side of the story [being sacked]."

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Former Arsenal defender Gael Clichy believes Paris St-Germain will be "fearing a team that is difficult to play against", as the Premier League winners prepare for their second Champions League final.

However, he added both sides are "really scary in their own right" as PSG have scored 44 goals in the competition this season, while Arsenal have only conceded six goals across their 14 matches.

Speaking before the Budapest final, Clichy said: "One team is playing free-flowing football and the other team is more conservative and set-piece orientated.

"As much as Paris St-Germain are a fantastic team, so are Arsenal. When you don't concede in so many games with this new formula in the Champions League, it tells you a lot about the character of the team.

"If you are looking for an example of being solid and difficult to beat, there is no better team than Arsenal.

"The reality is that people are fearing a team that is difficult to play against.

"I can see why people are saying the pressure is off Arsenal. I understand it but it is two different competitions, two different objectives and two different types of pressure."

Clichy was an unused substitute when the Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in their only previous Champions League final appearance back in 2006.

"We had great players and the team was unbelievable," he added. "Jens Lehmann was sent off early and I think the score would have been different with 11 men.

"But it just shows that anything can happen in 90 minutes, especially in a final."

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Arsenal will have pocketed at least £95m in prize money from this season's Champions League, should they beat Paris St-Germain in the final.

The Gunners have already guaranteed themselves a minimum of about £91.5m for reaching the final, although that may be nearer £130m depending on how much they have earned from Uefa in the form of television revenue.

Winning the final itself is worth an additional 6.5m euros (£5.63m).

Arsenal received 18.62m euros (£16.14m) for qualifying for the league phase. For winning all eight league phase matches, they were given a 16.8m euros (£14.6m) bonus. They were then awarded 2m euros (£1.7m) for a finish between first and eighth place and a further 9.9m euros (£8.6m) for being the top-ranked team.

For reaching the last 16, Mikel Arteta's side were awarded 11m euros (£9.5m). They were given an additional 12.5m euros (£10.8m) for reaching the quarter-finals and a further 15m euros (£13m) for the semi-finals.

As finalists, Arsenal have already guaranteed themselves 18.5m euros (£16m) – a number which will increase to 25m euros (£21.7m) should they beat PSG.

Read the full article on European prize money here