“ I was crying” Arsenal icon discusses how it felt losing the Champions League final

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·29 May 2026

“ I was crying” Arsenal icon discusses how it felt losing the Champions League final

Emmanuel Eboué has discussed the mood inside the Arsenal dressing room following their Champions League final defeat to Barcelona 20 years ago.

Two decades later, Arsenal have returned to the final of the competition and are preparing to face PSG, with many observers believing they have a strong chance of winning the trophy. PSG, however, are the defending champions and possess one of the most dangerous attacking units in world football. They also secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the previous final, a result that underlined their strength at the highest level.

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Memories of the 2006 final

In 2006, Arsenal were reduced to ten men early in the match after Jens Lehmann was shown a red card. Despite this setback, the team regrouped and competed strongly, even taking the lead before Barcelona eventually came from behind to win 2-1.

The defeat had a significant emotional impact on the squad, as the players reflected on how close they came to achieving European success. The sense of disappointment lingered long after the final whistle.

As reported by The Sun, Eboué said:

“Even though we played with 10 players, we did our best, and then at the end, it was a small thing that changed the game.

“When you play a final and then you don’t win, you feel sad. So all of us, we didn’t even talk.

“Everybody was crying. Even me. I was crying like a baby. I was crying like a baby because I wanted to win the title.”

Reflection and present expectations

Those memories have remained with the players involved for many years, highlighting the fine margins that often decide major finals.

With Arsenal now back in the Champions League final against PSG, there is renewed hope that they can finally go one step further and avoid repeating the heartbreak of 2006.

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