Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, spoke openly before leading his team to visit Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Mikel Arteta, the manager of the "Gunners" Arsenal, urged his players to make history by winning their first UEFA Champions League title this season, starting with defeating "Los Rojiblancos" Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
Speaking about the chance to make history,
"That is how all of us feel, and that's the energy I sense within the team and the club. This is the status we want, earned through hard work, commitment, and outstanding quality over the past nine months. Now it's time to show our capability, to demonstrate how much we want this, and to make it happen. The opportunity is right in front of us, and we must seize it."
"I don't think it will be easy because not long ago, this club went through seven years without playing in the Champions League. So, in that short time, what we've achieved is incredible. We know the challenges, we know how hard we've worked for this, so enjoy it and take this opportunity—it’s very hard to reach this stage."
Regarding facing Atletico Madrid,
"Playing against Atletico Madrid will be very tough. They are a team with a lot of experience in this competition, and they deserve to be at this stage because of what they have done—it’s remarkable. We understand the difficulty of this game, but I believe we have already shown in Europe, on any pitch, how capable we are. We play consistently, and tonight we must play with confidence, desire, and determination to come here and win."
"Every opponent and every context, whether it’s the stadium, the opponent, or their style of play, is different. There are many things to focus on, including their strengths and weaknesses. Especially against Atletico Madrid, there are moments in the game we must manage well to succeed and secure victory."
Arsenal will visit Atletico Madrid tonight at 02:00 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.