Renee Slegers, Alessia Russo and Kim Little were all in front of the media at Estadio Jose Alvalade for their pre-match press conference on Friday
The trio were asked all about what it’s like to be in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday.
Here’s everything they had to say on the following subjects.
**on how it feels to be in the Champions League final:**
RS: I'm very proud and I'm very happy for so many people. Yeah, so very happy for so many people because, as I said, I've only been at the club for one and a half, two years now. But taking a club to a Champions League final is so much work and that work is done all the time. So I think a lot of people should be proud, working in the background. But I am proud as well because I think what we've done as a team, looking at... We started the mini-tournament early in the season, which didn't start easy. And then we take ourselves into the group stage and there's some challenging games there as well. And some good opposition. But I think for me the key moment was the second leg against Bayern at home, where we showed so much as a team. I think we've always known, and the players know themselves as well, that we're a very good team. We're a very good football team. But that was, for me, a key moment where I saw that we could win games in different ways. And we could find ways to win. So that was such a special moment. I think from there on, the team has shown so much investment and engagement. And I think everything you see coming together, if you take the example of the second leg against Lyon, everything that comes together in that game, it's a lot of work and investment from the players. It's all about what they do in the training week. It's not about coming in, going out on the pitch and get a shower and go home. There's so much more they do. And I think that investment, that engagement, wanting to problem-solve, wanting to go to the next level, wanting to challenge things, I think that's what's been the best thing for me to be part of this team. And I think that's why the players are here at this stage right now and are ready to play against the final team
**on if it feels right for us to be in a final:**
AR: Yeah, 100%. I think that any player that plays for Arsenal or comes to play for Arsenal understands that it's a winning club and it's a club that is so ambitious and wants to be at the top, competing with the best. So I feel like absolutely this is where we want the club to be and this is what we'll keep pushing as players and as a group of all of us together. And we're very aware of what's come before us as well. Obviously Kim's played for the club for so long and she deserves to be here. And we also had lunch with some of the 2007 winners previously in the week and to understand how much it still means to them and how much they still feel a part of this club is really special for us current players.
**on if Barcelona’s previous defeats can be blueprints for us and the importance of bravery:**
RS: Yeah, so we want to show courage tomorrow. Like I said before, we respect Barcelona as a team. They're a really, really good football team. So we're very humble for the occasion, but also we are here to win. And we have to find ways to win and I am convinced that the game will shift in momentum. And for us it's going to be important that we deal with all moments really, really well in the game. So we need courage, we need discipline, we need to be switched on. We're going to have to make a lot of decisions on the stage. So if we do that really well, I think we can perform really well tomorrow in the game and we have to believe in our capacity tomorrow.
**on if Daphne van Domselaar is ready to start and the difference she can make:**
RS: We have a great squad and we have a lot of players available. So the only player not available for tomorrow will be Rosa Kafaji and all the other players will be available.
**on how Frida Maanum handled her return from a collapse in 2024:**
AR: Yeah, obviously that was a really tough moment for us as a team to see one of your players go through something like that. But I think Frida's resilience and also just how she is as a player in general is just incredible. Her work rate is one of the best that I've ever played with and she never stops running. So I think it's not nice to see a teammate go through that, but how she's overcome it and how she's performed this season consistently and been available. Yeah, she's a top player and a really great person to have on the team as well.
**on what it means to be at this point as our captain:**
KL: Yeah, it's absolutely special to be here and to be in the final tomorrow. I think, like Alessia spoke about, our own history at our club and what we achieved in 2007. And also all the clubs done throughout that time to really progress with the game and to be one of the driving forces for the teams to perform. It's also so special to be here and to lead the club in this really special occasion.
**on what game we’re expecting tomorrow:**
AR: The game that we're expecting tomorrow, I think we know that Barcelona are a top side. They have won on the highest level consistently and we're well aware of that, but I have full belief in us as a team, the journey that we've been on and some of the performances that we've put in this season. We know what we're capable of, we've been working really hard this week and we've also enjoyed it as well, enjoyed being in a major final with your teammates that you work so hard with every day. We're all really excited and prepared and we'll be ready to go tomorrow.
**on if Renee has given the whole squad more belief:**
RS: What we've tried to achieve is to create a really good environment for the players to perform and show belief in everyone and empower people and see everyone's strengths as much as possible. So that's what we've tried to do, but it's not only me and I think I've said it just there, but I think that's been one active choice from my side to try to empower and see the best in everyone. I think it also happened organically in the environment that we were in with all staff and players and that was the beautiful process that we were in, that was happening organically. It's been really good for us and I'm really happy that we got the best out of the players. Also saying there's so much more to give as well. Really well done. There's been a big, huge ownership piece and a lot of accountability on the players' side.
**on how much confidence we have from our big results this season:**
KL: Yeah, it's obviously been an incredible journey. I think we've had a lot of ups and downs, I think. There's been some performances that haven't been as good as we want, but also some incredible performances from the team. Especially our second leg from both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. We spoke about so much belief in each other and what we can achieve. We all work together and do things and we connect in that way. We can have a performance like we had in those two games that I spoke about. We've done all the work this week to put ourselves in the best position to be able to do that. And yeah, I'm happy to do that as well.
**on our comeback in Lyon and the belief that gave us:**
AR: Belief is something that we have spoke about a lot as a team this season. And we've also found lots of different ways to win this season, whether it's turning around a result or winning late or scoring early and taking our chances then. So I think it's been a season, like Kim said, full of highs and lows, but also full of lots of learning. That result out in Lyon and that performance out there was something that we want to hold with us. We want that to consistently be our standard because we know that we're capable of that and we know we've got the players and the group around us to do that. So it was special. It was a result where we needed to perform and we had no other choice. We wanted to go to the final and we were so committed to that as a team. Yeah, I have full belief going into the game tomorrow. We've been working really hard as a team and we know what we're capable of and we'll do our best to go out and play as well as we possibly can as a group.
**on if we’re not being respected enough ahead of the final:**
AR: Yeah, I also believe we are a very good football team. The way that we play and the way that we win games is something that, as a player, we want to be in teams like that and we play some great football. Maybe there's a little bit of that but not internally. Internally we know how good we are, we know the style that we want to play in and that we commit to play every day in training. Internally we're good, we're working hard and we'll hopefully go out and do that tomorrow too.
**on why we’ve been able to have so many comebacks this season:**
KL: The connection within each other, that we know even when we're maybe not quite at the top level of the level we should be at, that we know we can get that and I think that's the thing of any great team. You can't play at the top of the game every second but I think what makes us such a great team is when we haven't been in those moments, when we haven't been, we can take ourselves out of them quite quickly and in the moment and within games as well. I think that's a really good trait to have and I think we've shown that on many occasions.
**on our games against Barcelona in 2012:**
KL: I've not thought about it too much and it's the length of time since then. But yeah, it's also incredible for me to be at a club still and playing that kind of game against opposition who will obviously play tomorrow. Yeah, obviously we came out on top in those games. I don't have many memories from the game. I know my friend Jenny scored and I think I scored in one of them as well. So yeah, obviously special memories to be in the Champions League then and I hope to create more memories like that tomorrow.
**on where this team ranks among the ones Kim has played in:**
KL: Yeah, obviously the games have changed quite drastically in that time, not for 100 years, but yeah, obviously the game is so different now. The level of professional now compared to what the players had in 2007, it's just on a completely different level. So for them to have done that and performed at that level until one year, was obviously incredibly special. I think this past week we've had some of those players come in and have lunched with us. I obviously know them personally, but maybe some of the other players haven't been at the club as long. You've got to meet them and interact with them, so they're just that common thing being Arsenal and it's a really special thing to see that and to have that. Yeah, even after winning the semi-final, to see many of the former players and players who went into 2007, how proud they were of us and still supporting us as teammates. Yeah, it's a really nice one. It obviously shows the non-pitch playing side of football and what that is. I think we can all speak and say that Arsenal, as a club, I think is one of the best and one of the most unique in that sense. That just brings an additional, special side to this game and to be a part of this club.
**on if we thought we’d be in the final when we lost to BK Hacken and why Rosa Kafaji is unavailable:**
RS: I can't remember what I was thinking back then because I think we were all thinking we have to win that game and one step at a time. So I think that's what we were thinking. If you put everything in perspective, again going back to the history of the club, and then where we come from this season and putting ourselves in a position to play this game tomorrow. There's so much work. That's us, but it's also all of us because it's all the people that have done this for such a long time. We're so proud that all of us are going to do this tomorrow and we're going to go all in to this challenge and we look forward to it so much. As for Rosa, she has a foot injury.
**on reports that the trophy was stolen this week:**
AR: I had no idea. That's how busy we've been this week. I'm glad it's back now!
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