Unai Emery: 7 Europa League finals, only 1 defeat.
Luis Enrique: 14 finals, only 1 defeat.
Both managers suffered their only final defeat against this club.
Tonight’s Champions League final for me really solidifies an opinion I’ve had for a while.
Modern football has produced incredible systems, coaching, fitness and tactical organization.
But the elite players of previous generations were more capable of imposing their personality on a match regardless of the system around them.
The modern game produces better collective solutions and I have no doubts that teams are stronger than ever. However, the previous generations produced more individuals willing to create their own.
Players who took responsibility, changed the rhythm of matches and bent games to their will instead of waiting for the system to provide the answer.
Football evolved, the footballer didn’t.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Arsenal have become the FIRST and ONLY team in football history to go unbeaten throughout an entire Champions League campaign and still fail to win the trophy. 🏆❌
1 - Gabriel Magalhães is the first player to hit a penalty over the crossbar in a #UCLfinal penalty shootout since Milan's Serginho in 2005 (v Liverpool).
It was the first penalty the Brazilian had ever taken for Arsenal.
Unfortunate.
🚨🚨| Arsenal completed just (69) passes in the first half—the lowest total recorded (since 2003/04) by any team in a UEFA Champions League final.
{@Squawka}
- Cole Palmer didn’t make the World Cup squad.
- Phil Foden didn’t make the World Cup squad.
- Adam Wharton didn’t make the World Cup squad.
- João Pedro didn’t make the World Cup squad.
- Harry Maguire didn’t make the World Cup squad.
But Hamza Abdelkarim, who plays for the reserves, Rashford who’s a backup to Raphinha, and Gerard Martín plus Eric García who are meme material for rival fans across Europe… all made the World Cup squad.
Barcelona is the only club in the world capable of taking you to the highest level and giving you real value 💙❤️
🚨❗️On this day three years ago, Lionel Messi won the World Cup.
Here is what icons had to say about him:
🗣️ Cristiano Ronaldo: “Winning a World Cup is something unique. Respect to Messi for achieving it.”
🗣️ Pep Guardiola: “Winning the World Cup puts Messi beyond any discussion.”
🗣️ Zinedine Zidane: “What Messi did in this World Cup was extraordinary. He deserves it.”
🗣️ Carlo Ancelotti: “With the World Cup, Messi has completed football. There is nothing left to discuss.”
🗣️ Luka Modrić: “Messi proved once again that he is the best player in the history of football.”
🗣️ Xavi Hernández: “History has been fair. The best player ever now has the World Cup.”
🗣️ Erling Haaland: “Messi showed why he’s the greatest. What a tournament.”
🗣️ Rio Ferdinand: “That final sealed it. Messi is untouchable.”