Here is every word Mikel Arteta said ahead of Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League final clash with Paris Saint-Germain
18:09, 29 May 2026Updated 18:10, 29 May 2026
Mikel Arteta, head coach of Arsenal FC, attends his press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League final clash with PSG
View Image
Mikel Arteta, head coach of Arsenal FC, attends his press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League final clash with PSG(Image: Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of his Arsenal side’s UEFA Champions League final bout with French champions Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners are aiming to make history for themselves by winning the competition for the very first time.
The main focus in terms of the team fell squarely on Jurrien Timber. The Dutchman has made it back into training this week ahead of the final, and Arteta provided his answers to the questions surrounding the right back and the role.
Then came the questions on what the occasion is for Arsenal and whether lifting the Premier League trophy ahead of this one gives the side that extra boost. The last time The Gunners made it to the final in 2006 it was all the silverware they could win, this time, they’re going for the double and that changes everything.
Here is every word Mikel Arteta said in his pre-match press conference:
Another huge match and another chance to complete a historic season with another trophy, so what's the feeling going into this game tomorrow?
Great. The preparation has been really, really good, really focused, really positive. We are here because we have the right to be here, in the manner that we have played and performed in the competition, and tomorrow on that field, we're going to have to earn the right to win the trophy.
Can we just get some team news, please? What is the state of the squad? Is Jurrien Timber fit to play tomorrow?
He's fit, yeah.
Fit enough to start the game?
Yes.
And Noni Madueke?
Yes.
You're big on messaging and keeping the players engaged, so have you used the defeat at all to PSG last season in your messaging to the players?
Well, we certainly used examples and things that we learned from those three matches, and there's a lot to take from there, but it's true that we have evolved in a different way, they have evolved in a different way, their scenario is different as well, and we took some learnings and some things that we have to do better, and I'm sure that will happen tomorrow.
There's fantastic news with regards to the fitness of your squad aside of Ben. You've often said that picking your team week in, week out, is one of the most painful, most challenging parts of your job. Where are the pain levels when you think about your team selection on Saturday?
I look around and I see the joy and the desire that all of them have to play this match. We all know that it's the biggest game in football. Competition, and everybody wants to be part of that. They all understand what it takes, and how important it is to make an impact when it's needed.
Luis Enrique, the PSG head coach, has been very wholesome in his praise of Arsenal, and in particular of you. I just want to get your opinion on Luis Enrique as a man, and as a manager as well.
Well, he's always been a reference since he was a player, because he was a very special player. And then when he became a coach, and if you look at his journey, when he left Spain and he went abroad, and then he came back, and in particular what he's done with this PSG club and team, you can see his fingerprints all over it. The identity, the mentality, the way the players behave, the way they play. So, he's been an inspiration, and tomorrow we'll be clashing each other on that touchline.
We've talked a lot about 22 years, first time for the title. This is the first Champions League final in 20 years. For some of these players, for many players, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How important is it that you seize that?
Well, I think it's the opportunity to own the moment, because, as you said, it's 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. And in order to do that, we have to play tomorrow. With such a clarity, a lot of courage, and a relentless desire to win. We have those three aspects, and I'm sure we're going to be close to winning.
Mikel, because you've won the title, in a funny sort of way, is the pressure off?
No. The ambition is bigger. We have one, and now we want the second one. That's all we've been talking about. There has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more. And the team is capable, because we've shown it in the last two seasons, in this competition. What we've done this season in the competition, and I want the players to be so confident that we're going to win.
Arsene Wenger has spoken publicly, saying how he hopes your team can go one step further. Has he been in touch at all?
No, not directly, because you know how Arsene is, and he doesn't want to be in the way. But I know how we all feel. I spoke to a lot of ex-players that are in this position as well, and everybody is rooting for us. It's an opportunity as a club to write something new that we've never done. So, that's what we want to do.
You spoke the last couple of months about how you visualised lifting the Premier League trophy. That was something you dreamed up. Where did the Champions League feature in those dreams? How special was that for you?
In a really similar way. I think all the process and the journey that took us all the way here is remarkable from the team. As I said, we earn it in the manner that we have approached the competition every game, and the contribution and performance that we have through our players. Tomorrow is the last game to go and win it and bring it home.
You say the ambition is bigger after winning the Premier League. Have you noticed something different when you look in the eyes of your players since they've had that moment?
That they want more, I think. Going through those moments brings you a different kind of desire, because you lift it, you know exactly how it feels, and you want to reproduce that feeling as many times as possible. And tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that.
We spoke after the Atletico game, building on what was said. You said that the line-ups for that game, you'd written a million line-ups on your iPad. I'm just curious, how many have you written for this one?
Not that many. But it takes some time to go through. We had a bit more certainty as well with some players that could be on that pitch, but in relation to the context of the game and what can happen tomorrow, we need to be ready.
Looking back to last year's game, how much do you think you've improved from reaching the semi-finals last year? And obviously you've made a lot of progress round by round over the last few years. The next step is obviously the biggest one to make. Do you think you're ready to do that?
Well, when I watched the games back, I was very pleased with what I saw, and I was even more confident about the feeling that I had before about how close and how unlucky we were in a lot of moments, not to go through to that final. As I said before, it's a different moment. The teams have evolved as well in certain ways, and tomorrow we'll play a different game, I'm sure.
In the club's 140-year history, this club has never won this competition. If you did end up doing it this time round, what would it mean to you on top of winning the league, potentially doing a double? For you and the club, it must be absolutely massive.
Well, it would mean something new for all of us, and we know how tough it is in a club like Arsenal to write a new history. But that's the aim, and that's why we are all so excited and we have such a desire to make it happen.
PSG are the favourites to win the match tomorrow. Do you think that's right, and do you think that Arsenal are the underdogs, and can you sort of take another opportunity at them?
Well, they are defending the trophy, so they were the last ones that had the right to lift that trophy, and they are actually the champions, and we are here to take that away from them.
You mentioned the bigger ambition there. Obviously with Bukayo and Martin in there, a lot of questions about the title, and there's been such joy around the club. Are you slightly concerned maybe that it could be seen as a bit of a free hit?
No.
How do you retain that edge?
Because I feel it, and we know, I mean, that's done, it's great, we've done it, we earned it, we've fought for so long in the Premier League to achieve that after 22 years, and now we have another opportunity to do it, and the journey that we have in the competition shows that we are capable of doing that tomorrow, and the boys are, you know, with the level of desire at the maximum, for sure.
The goalkeeper of PSG, in the semifinals he kicked the ball out of the pitch are you prepared? Is it like it was PSG making during when they start the game from the centre of the pitch? Also, goalkeeper sometimes making it in the semifinals. How do you think will they do it again? And generally, what is the idea?
Obviously, we have analysed everything that they do in every phase, the same that I'm sure they've done, but yeah, we have prepared the possible scenarios and the possible things that they try to do. More than all, try to understand the purpose behind what they do and what they want to achieve to make sure that we take the game where we want.
First of all, how would you describe Martin Odegaard as a team leader? I spoke to Theo Walcott earlier today and he compared the two of you as leading by example, not by speaking out loud. What would you say?
Martin, he is himself. He's a person that you can trust with your life. He's a professional that is probably the biggest role model that we have in that dressing room and he's a player that loves the game and respects every teammate and loves to play for us. So he has all the attributes in his own way to lead the team in the manner that, in my opinion, is great.
Do you have time to realise where you are? You brought the club from whatever it was when you took over to the Champions League final. Do you take the time to realise it or are you just focused on the game and we need to win it?
I'm present in the moment. I'm living now here. I want to go outside and be with the players outside and feel the moment and start to realise where we are and tomorrow is a day to own it. As I said, we made bigger strides in this competition over the last few years to earn the right to be in this position which is great but the ultimate goal is clear and we have to make it happen tomorrow.
After the game against City, Declan Rice shouted to his teammates that it's not over. Is this the mentality of Arsenal this year?
It was a natural reaction. It's what he felt in the moment and after that game I already said that was the feeling that I got as well and what I could sense from the team. And from that I think things turned around, the energy turned around and the team started to play with a different freedom because we didn't want to lose that game and I think we showed a lot of composure and determination to go on and win the [final] games.
Article continues below
Secure your ultimate European discount before the final whistle with 76% off NordVPN
The ultimate showdown is here. Arsenal are on the march in the Champions League this weekend, ready to fight for Europe's biggest prize and secure their place in football history.
Now is your chance to make your own championship-winning play, by switching to NordVPN. But just like the race to the final whistle, there’s a strict deadline to lock in this world-class deal.
Our Champions League coverage is brought to you in association with NordVPN, the UK's number one VPN according to TechRadar.
A VPN protects your internet connection and online privacy by creating an encrypted tunnel for your data and hiding your IP address, allowing you to safely stream the big match even on public Wi-Fi. With NordVPN, you can block malicious websites, stop web trackers, and monitor data leaks all in one app.
Get 76% off your NordVPN deal for the first two years plus four months extra free.