By Samindra Kunti in Budapest
May 29 – Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain start as favourites to retain the Champions League against Arsenal, who can cement England’s dominance of the European club game with victory. The high-stakes final comes against a new political backdrop in Hungary.
It took the Parisians more than a decade and billions of dollars under Qatari ownership to conquer Europe, thumping Inter Milan 5-0 last season in the final. Under Luis Enrique they have transformed into a free-flowing, highly energetic team – light years away from the top-heavy, star-studded formations of the past that, often dysfunctional, failed to make a mark on the continent.
They take on Arsenal, in search of their first-ever Champions League win after losing the 2006 final 2-1 to FC Barcelona, who have displayed a much more pragmatic approach to matches as the season has progressed. By general consensus, the Parisians are in class of their own, boasting some of the competition’s best players, including Portuguese midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves, and Chvitsja Kvaratschelia, who exploded into life the knockout phase.
Fitness will also play a role. PSG played in last summer’s Club World Cup, but rotated their squad throughout the season, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta always relied on his strongest XI in different competitions.
High on the euphoria of winning a first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal have a unique chance of their own. Arsenal have conceded just six goals this Champions League campaign and demonstrated in last season’s semi-final return leg against PSG that they can dominate possession.
The London club can claim the double and complete a hat trick of English victories on the continent, cementing the Premier League’s dominance of the club game. In the past fortnight, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa have won the Conference and Europa League finals respectively. Last season, Chelsea triumphed in the Conference League and, after an all-English final, Tottenham Hotspur clinched the Europa League, but the Premier League had no representative in the Champions League final.
Saturday’s final comes against different political backdrop in Hungary after the exit of the authoritarian, Russia-leaning Viktor Orban following an electoral defeat by Peter Magyar.
For years, Orban was a dissenter in European politics, but he often sought to launder his reputation through sports. He invested heavily in the construction of dozens of stadiums, including the Puskas Stadium, venue of the final, to push his right-wing view of the world. At the time of Euro 2020, Orban passed an anti-gay law, turning the spotlight on Uefa’s stadium rules.
In the buildup to this final, football supporter groups feared once again that bringing Rainbow flags into the ground would be a major issue. However, with Orban’s electoral defeat, the issue appears less of a flashpoint.
Magyar, Uefa confirmed, will attend the final. Local media however report that Orban will also attend the showpiece match.
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