Luis Enrique Responds to Arteta’s Claims After Champions League Semifinal

Following Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) triumph over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinal, PSG’s manager, Luis Enrique, has addressed statements made by Arsenal’s head coach, Mikel Arteta, who asserted that his team was the best in the competition this season.

PSG secured a 3-1 aggregate victory against Arsenal, with a 1-0 win in the first leg held in London, followed by a 2-1 victory in Paris.

Despite the loss, Arteta insisted on his team’s superior performance.

Arteta commented post-match, stating, “We were very close—much closer than the result showed—but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players. 100%. I don’t think there’s been a better team than Arsenal in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out.”

Luis Enrique offered a respectful yet firm response to these remarks.

Enrique stated, “I don’t agree at all. Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t completely agree. They played well, the way they wanted to. But we scored more goals. Arsenal played well, we suffered a lot—but we were the winners in the end.”

This result marks PSG’s second appearance in the Champions League final within the last five years.

The last time the French team reached this stage was in the 2019–20 season, where they faced a narrow 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich.

PSG is now set to compete against Inter Milan in the final, scheduled for May 31 in Munich.

Inter Milan secured their place in the final following a thrilling 7-6 victory over Barcelona after extra time in the other semifinal.