Arsenal Press Conference ahead of UEFA Champions League Final against PSG

[0:00] in the room so try and get to as many of you as possible we'll kick off with alex at the front [0:04] hi martin hello you were the captain to lift the premier league trophy for the first 22 years [0:16] for arsenal you're always going to be in that image and remembered in history so what did that [0:20] feel like and how does that feeling drive you to do it again on saturday no it felt amazing i think [0:27] you know all we've been through uh to get to that moment makes it feel so good and to do it with [0:32] this group um it's just unbelievable and uh yeah such a beautiful day and as you say it's going to [0:37] be there forever for all of us so yeah special special feeling and of course the energy we take [0:43] from that and the mood and the vibe you know it's great going into this game another final you know [0:48] so yeah just good vibes and uh and we're ready to go again yeah hi bakai hello another massive game [1:01] tomorrow and last season psg knocked you out in the in the semi-final so do you use any of that [1:07] fire to to drive you for the match tomorrow we have enough fire going into the game tomorrow [1:13] um we know the history of the club and we know that tomorrow we can write history as players and [1:18] winning it for the first time so that already for us is a lot of motivation i'd say hi there martin [1:25] um your manager talked a lot about visualizing lifting the premier league trophy i just want to know [1:31] what the visualization compared to the reality and have your dreams now been filled with lifting the [1:38] biggest trophy yeah for sure i think it's been like that since i was a little kid uh i've been [1:43] dreaming about uh winning these trophies you know since i grew up playing football and uh yeah when [1:48] i started playing football with my friends you know in the little pitch next to my house i was dreaming [1:53] of this moment you know to win trophies um play this final and and of course win it so that dream has [1:59] been the you know the the whole life and of course now uh the last few weeks a little bit more [2:05] um every young arsenal fans probably living their dreams through what you're doing can you just [2:13] put into words how you deal and embrace that pressure and that expectation i don't think about [2:21] it too much um that's my thing i just try and enjoy it focus on the moment stay present and leave the [2:29] rest in god's hands hello john cross daily member the code just following on from that i think every [2:36] fan now really appreciates in an academy kid someone who's come through the ranks so just just can you [2:41] put it into words what kind of winning the title means and then completing the doubles as champions [2:46] you know league winner that what that would mean even getting to this point would mean to you as a [2:52] success yeah of course we all know where my journey started um seven eight year old at halen road and [3:00] this was a long way away um trying to win the premier league of arsenal and it feels like this [3:07] last week you know it's this will kind of become a reality and um tomorrow yeah i'm very excited [3:12] opportunity to to win another trophy here um and yeah just just create that history for the club that [3:18] i love martin just just on that on that history as players as a group what does that mean it would be [3:26] the first time that arsenal would win the european cup would win the champions league that that sort of [3:31] driver that's what you did it with 22 years last week the first time over this time what sort of [3:36] driver is that no for sure it's something special uh that we can achieve that has not been done before [3:41] and as you say it was 22 years since we last won the premier league and and now finally we did it so [3:46] we want to make even even more history and um and you know when you get the taste of winning and [3:52] and listing uh a trophy um you know how nice it feels so obviously we want to do it again and um [3:59] yeah it would mean a lot to to everyone to our supporters you know so um yeah we're ready to do [4:05] it and um looking forward to the game simon um okay we we saw earlier this season that thierry [4:11] on re-reached out to you before that game with west ham message i just wonder if he's been in touch [4:16] before this final and if not maybe will you reach out to him for a few few words of advice yeah he messaged me [4:22] earlier to be fair i think he's outside he told me he's coming but um yeah it's been a consistent [4:27] theme um throughout the season especially in the good and bad moments um so yeah i have a lot of [4:33] love for him and i appreciate that can you reveal what the message was no i just said afternoon i hope [4:39] you're well i'm gonna be here i'm at the open session i said oh perfect like see you after just one [4:45] for you martin i saw patrick vieira send you a video message the other day what did that mean to [4:50] get that sort of message from an arsenal captain and for you obviously vieira was a great captain [4:55] but you can be the first to lift this trophy yeah of course special uh proper club legend and [5:00] everything he's done and uh you know i've seen videos and clips and i've heard stories and um yeah [5:07] such a special um leader you know that he was here at the club and yeah to get a message from him [5:12] is special and as you say and now we have the chance to to do something that they haven't done as [5:18] well you know so it's something nice to to play for and as i said we're just looking forward to [5:23] the game now and um yeah we can't wait to play now sam hi question for martin does it feel different [5:34] now now that you have won the premier league we know how much that pressure was on we know [5:38] how much of a burden that was for the whole team that's gone now do you feel like a different person [5:43] different player and will it help don't feel like a different person uh but obviously it was something [5:48] really really special and something we was you know fighting for for so long and of course like [5:54] you say with that pressure with the outside noise of people saying we can't do it and all that um of [5:59] course that's gone uh and i don't know for us it doesn't change a lot other than it's an amazing [6:05] feeling and an amazing achievement uh but the mindset is still the same we want to come here and win [6:10] tomorrow so i think we just have to take all the positives all the good feelings all the good energy [6:15] um and the good experiences uh we've been through a lot as a group and i think everything we've been [6:21] through you know prepared us well for for these last few weeks and uh and again tomorrow you know [6:26] so yeah we're ready for it and just looking forward to play now james hi question for bakayo or martin or [6:35] both of you um you've spoken about visualizing uh the trophy list i wonder if you visualized the parade [6:43] that you're hopefully looking forward to on sunday i mean they say as many as a million people [6:47] will be in north london what would it mean to you given the fans are sort of stuck by you through [6:52] tough times and get and raise the roof so often what would it mean to you to give the champions [6:57] league title to this fan base okay yeah well firstly i know exactly what it means to them um i've been [7:07] here on this journey um loving this club and seeing the ups seeing the downs and we felt it you know when [7:15] we won the premier league we felt how much it means to the supporters you know we saw loads of videos [7:21] and yeah i think the parade's gonna be like the first time we see a proper mass and um gathering of [7:28] all the arsenal fans and obviously we're very excited um but at the same time we're trying to [7:34] trying to stay focused on this game because it's it's so important and it's a massive opportunity to [7:39] to do something special and and we'll probably make the parade even more more crazy so um yeah [7:44] tomorrow's our focus and then after we want to enjoy it come round to amy just down here yeah thank you [7:51] thank you um martin there's a lot been said about a lot of quite rightly compliments and applauded for [7:58] this paris angela man team and how much quality that they have what would you say is arsenal's special [8:05] quality what do you think you guys have that gives you the faith that you can get what you need [8:10] against the team as strong as that yeah we know the quality we have in the team i think we've [8:14] showed that for a very long period of time um obviously coming from winning the premier league [8:20] which is probably the toughest league to win uh in the world gives us a lot of confidence uh we know [8:24] what we are and and what we can do um obviously we're playing a good team uh with a lot of qualities [8:29] but we have full belief in ourselves uh what we can do and the football that we can play and the results [8:35] that we can get so yeah that's our main focus to be us and to focus on what we can do and and what [8:41] we can control and then yeah it's a big game but we're ready for it as i said and um yeah fully [8:47] belief in in the team and and everything that we can do on the pitch okay could you give us an insight [8:52] into the spirit of the group and what you think makes it so special when you're together yeah i feel [8:58] like we're a very tight-knitted team um we get on with each other very well and um we're willing to [9:05] to fight for each other on the pitch and off the pitch so um that goes a long way it helps us win [9:10] the premier league and yeah tomorrow night hopefully it'll give us an advantage as well hi bukayo hi [9:16] martin makota sara from swedish aftonbladet here uh you have a new addition in the offensive season [9:23] in victor joker's who's having his first season with ups and downs and most ups recently what do you [9:30] think of what he's added to the team and what he's meant for you i think it's been brilliant uh since he [9:36] came in i think it's been unbelievable for us uh scored a lot of goals scored some big goals and [9:42] not just the goals but the way he plays you know the attention he takes on the pitch uh leaves a lot [9:47] of space for the rest of us he's someone who gives absolutely everything every single game and [9:52] he works so hard you know and um yeah so determined to to get in front of the goal and to make the [9:58] difference so yeah special player and great to have him you know and um yeah a great first season for [10:04] him and uh already a trophy in the first season is not bad uh hi it's jens from vg norway and [10:12] question for martin thank you for your time and i could see after the premier league trophy was lifted [10:16] on sunday that you shared a picture with a physio from the staff mr yamamoto with a little crown on [10:22] his head on instagram just how important has he been for you this season i think yeah him of course a [10:30] massive uh for me i do a lot of treatment with him and he's brilliant um i have to say all of our [10:35] staff you know everyone working for the club um they do an amazing job every single day uh they give [10:41] absolutely everything for this team you know for this club and uh they may be not in the spotlight you [10:48] know but it's important to say uh what they're doing behind the scenes and uh it's just an incredible [10:53] group of people together and like bukayo said we're proper like a family and we want the best for each [10:58] other and that goes for the staff as well they're so important you know for us players um to perform [11:03] at our best so yeah just very grateful for all the work they do good afternoon radex and my czech [11:10] republic uh question for both players uh the premier league title was celebrated around the emirate stadium [11:17] i do ready to celebrate here in budapest around the stadium and have you seen this city before [11:23] thanks a lot yeah we're hoping we can we can win the chambers league tomorrow and we'll have the chance [11:31] to celebrate again and um yeah i've been to this city before and i've played in the stadium a few [11:37] times against um hungary so i'm familiar with it tom hi guys um because the psg team's been spoken about [11:46] as amy mentioned earlier the quality but also the volume of minutes that the arsenal team has played [11:50] more compared to this psg team is there any element of it being daunting come up against the side in a [11:56] final where you've had to play so many more minutes this season than they have well i think yeah we've [12:02] had a week to to recover and prepare for this game and yeah a game like this is not going to be decided [12:08] on minutes it's going to be decided on moments um a bit of quality and and which team is better [12:13] organized i believe and martin you've been in and out of the team because of injury this season [12:18] there's the leadership group that's within there how has that been with that group in the leadership [12:22] wise being out off the pitch and your role in leading this side to a final yeah obviously it's [12:27] not been easy to to be out with injuries uh it's been a lot this season for me which has been very [12:32] frustrating but uh yeah what can you do you have to adapt and you have to make the most out of it and [12:38] and try to help the team in other ways you know when you're not on the pitch uh you have to try to [12:42] help off the pitch uh but yeah that leadership group is so strong and bukayo here as well is taking [12:48] so much responsibility and and all of them to be fair um there's so many leaders in in this team [12:54] and we really help each other and uh i think that's that's been key you know to our success that we have [12:59] more and more people taking responsibility so that's great to see we'll do the last couple now it is [13:05] gregory selengator at champion.com the question is for martin otogar and [13:09] um passager got matey safonov keeper with not typical style of playing exactly during the penalties [13:18] are you looking during the preparation how he's playing exactly in the penalties yeah of course [13:24] we're always analyzing the opponent um in every way that we can and penalties is of course a possibility [13:31] tomorrow so yeah we're prepared for that as well and um and yeah we're looking at everything so i think [13:37] we're we're well prepared and we'll do the last one because michael's just outside but david here [13:42] yeah um hi bukayo this question is for you you've been here with arsenal from the beginning of this [13:48] new journey uh when you reflect where you were when michael arteta started and where you are now [13:54] sitting here speaking the day before a champions league final what what comes to mind well a lot comes [14:01] to mind um we're very far away from the level we are now but michael made it clear um [14:09] his mission was to bring arsenal back to to where we believe it belongs and that's competing at the [14:14] highest level fighting for all the trophies and yeah i'm proud that we considered today um and say [14:20] that we've achieved that i'm winning the premier league and obviously being able to play in this [14:23] final um it's been a long journey um some disappointments along the way but it's been worth it [14:30] you know the feeling to lift that premier league and obviously do it with with michael was special as [14:34] well and obviously martin and all the players you know that we've been here for most of the journey and [14:39] we've we fought for each other and had to pick each other up and go again and now we get to enjoy [14:43] these moments cool we'll end it there michael's just on his way thank you thanks everyone thank you [15:14] good afternoon everyone hope everyone's well um we'll try to get to as many people as we can [15:30] obviously but we have a training session soon so i'll uh we'll kick off with some english media and [15:34] we'll go first with alex howell from the bbc down here hi michael hello another huge match and another [15:45] chance to complete a historic season with another trophy so what's the feeling going into this game [15:50] tomorrow great uh the preparation has been uh really really good and really focused really positive [15:57] um we are here because we have been the right to to be here in the manner that we have played and [16:03] and performed in the competition and tomorrow on that field we're gonna have to end the right to [16:08] to go and win the trophy and could you just get some team news please uh before tomorrow uh what [16:14] what is the state of the squad is during timber fit to play tomorrow yeah fair enough to start the [16:18] game yes and noni madueke noni as well the only one is ben white you're big on messaging and keeping [16:25] the players engaged so have you used the feet at all to psg last season in your messaging to the players [16:30] this week well we certainly use examples and things that we learned from those um three matches and [16:36] uh it's a lot to take from there but it's true that uh we have evolved in a different way they [16:41] have evolved in a different way this scenario is different as well and um and yeah we took some [16:46] learnings and some things that we have to do better and i'm sure that um that will happen tomorrow [16:51] darmesh from sky sports hi mika um as fantastic news with regard to the fitness of your squad aside of [16:56] ben you've often said that picking your team week in week out is one of the most painful almost [17:03] challenging parts of your job where are the pain levels when you think about your team selection [17:08] on saturday it's because i look around and i see the joy and uh the desire that all of them have to [17:15] to play this much we all know that is the biggest game in in football competition and everybody wants [17:22] to be part of that and uh yeah they all understand what it takes and as well how important everybody [17:27] is to make an impact when it's needed luis enrique the psg head coach has been very wholesome in [17:32] his praise of arsenal and in particular of you i just want to get your opinion on luis enrique as a [17:40] man and as a manager as well well he's always been a reference since he was a player because he was a [17:47] very special player and then when he became a coach and if you look at his journey when he left [17:53] um spain and he went abroad and then he came back and what is done and in particular what is done with [17:59] this uh psc club and team uh you can see his fingerprints all over it the identity the mentality [18:06] the way the place behave the way they play so yeah it's been an inspiration and uh and tomorrow we'll [18:12] be clashing each other on that touchline john from the mirror hello michael hi we've talked a lot about [18:18] 22 years first time for the title this is the first champions league final in 20 years i mean for some of [18:24] these players you know it's it for many players it's a once in a lifetime opportunity how important [18:29] is it that kind of you see that and you know and that i'm sure will be in your messaging won't well [18:37] i think it's uh it's the opportunity to own the moment because as you said it's the second time in [18:42] our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to to write a new chapter in [18:48] the history of this football club and in order to do that we have to play tomorrow with with such a clarity [18:54] um a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win we have those three aspects i'm sure that we're [19:01] going to be close to win charlie the sun michael because you because you won the title in a funny [19:06] sort of way is the pressure off just a little no the ambition is bigger we have one and uh and we [19:13] won the second one and that's what we've been talking about um there has to be a platform um to reach [19:20] uh bigger destinations and uh and to aim for more and the tp is capable because he's shown it in the [19:27] last two season the way of three in this competition what we've done this season in the competition and [19:32] there i want the players to be so confident um that we're gonna go into it uh arsene wenger has [19:39] spoken publicly saying how he hopes you know your team can go one step further has he been in touch at [19:44] all well no not directly uh because you know how arsene is and he doesn't want to be in the way [19:50] but i know how we all feel uh i spoke to a lot of ex-players that they've been in this position as [19:55] well and everybody's rooting for us um it's an opportunity as a club um to write something new [20:00] that we've never done so uh that's what we want to do matt london evening standard hi michael hi you [20:06] spoke the last couple months about how you visualized lifting the premier league trophy that was something [20:10] you dreamed up where did the champions league sort of feature in those dreams how special is that [20:14] for you in a really similar way and i think all the process and the journey that took us all the [20:19] way here it's um is remarkable from the team and as i said we earn it in the manner that we have [20:25] approached the competition every game and the contribution and performance that we have through [20:30] our players and and tomorrow is the last game to go and win it and i'm bringing home amy athletic [20:36] hi michael um you say the ambition is bigger after winning the premier league have you noticed [20:41] something different when you look in the eyes of your players since they've had that moment [20:44] that they want more i think going through those moments uh brings you a different kind of desire [20:50] because you lift it you know exactly how how it feels and and you want to reproduce that feeling [20:55] as many times as possible and uh and tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that tom from football [21:01] london hi michael no it's in the middle right here yeah um we spoke after the atletico game and [21:06] building on from what darmes said you said that the lineups for that game you'd written a million [21:10] lineups on your ipad i was just curious how many have you written for this one not that many uh [21:17] but there's still some time to go through uh we had a bit more certainty as well we said some players [21:21] that could be um on that pitch but uh yeah in relation to the context of the game and what can [21:27] happen tomorrow we need to be ready head from the guardian down here hi michael just um looking back to [21:34] last year's game um how much do you think you've improved from um reaching the semi-finals last year and [21:39] obviously you've made a lot of progress uh round by round over the last few years would the next [21:44] step um you know the next step is obviously the biggest one to make but do you think you're ready [21:48] to do that well when i watch the games back uh i was very pleased with what i saw and i was even more [21:55] um confident that the feeling that i had before about how close and how unlucky we were in a lot of [22:01] moments not to go through to to that final and as i said before it's a different moment the teams [22:06] uh have evolved as well in in certain ways and uh and tomorrow we'll play a different game i'm sure [22:11] this and daily mail hi michael in the club's 140 year history obviously this club has never won this [22:17] competition if you were if you did end up doing it this time around what would it mean to you on top [22:21] of obviously winning the league potentially doing a double for you and the club this must be absolutely [22:26] massive well it will be in something new for all of us and uh and we know how tough it is um in a club [22:31] like arsenal to to write a new history but that's the aim and that's why we are all so excited and [22:37] we have such a desire to to make it happen okay we'll do two more from english media first from phil [22:41] from pa hi michael psg are the favorites to win the match tomorrow do you think that's right and do you [22:48] think that also are the underdogs and can you sort of uh take an opportunity of that well they are [22:53] defending the trophy so they were the last ones that and the right to leave that trophy and and they're [22:58] actually the champions and um and we are here to take that away from them and the final one from [23:03] the english media from miguel you might fish out there miguel hi hi um you mentioned the bigger [23:07] ambition there obviously with the client martin in there a lot of titles and it's been such kind of [23:14] joy around the court are you slightly concerned maybe that it could be seen as a bit of a free hit [23:19] no because i feel it and we know i mean that's done it's great we've done it we earned it we [23:26] fight for so long uh in the premier league to achieve that after 22 years and now we have [23:31] another opportunity to do it and and the journey that we have in the competition shows that we are [23:35] capable of doing that um tomorrow and the boys are you know um with the level of desire at the [23:42] maximum for sure okay some questions in spanish one from juan from mocha [23:46] juan castro marcado la mikel i just want to ask you a question a bit more personal if i may [23:55] what are you going to do tonight tomorrow before the game are you to sleep but you [24:02] spend time with your family i hope it will be like any other game i it's very clear to be honest [24:08] everything all i'd actually be in a row this evening we know exactly what we're going to be looking [24:13] at tomorrow the the team is ready the game is ready i'll be in my room you know have something [24:18] to eat because i'm going to see hi miguel i'm from fox latin america i just wanted to ask if [24:31] we saw that you made a statement where you were explaining [24:35] i think that you've been waiting for this triumph for years and you you were really emotional it [24:43] actually gave me goosebumps and have you prepared something tomorrow for tomorrow i think that each [24:50] game has its moment i think that each game is a different theme and the one tomorrow is obviously [24:57] linked to our history as a club sometimes things come up better when they're spontaneous and not [25:04] not written we'll see what i say tomorrow hi again how are you doing i just wanted to ask you to [25:13] repeat what you said just in spanish please so you said that there were 48 [25:21] different possibilities for your starting 11 and how do you deal with any doubts that you may have [25:28] what about the wingers it's like playing chess and you and luis enrique are no strangers so what have [25:36] you got up your sleeve in terms of my starting 11 i was a bit of an uncertain about whether four or [25:46] five players were going to be fit to start but now there's more certainty but yeah it's like playing [25:51] chess because the champions league is a very complicated competition it's a level of the players [25:58] that will be decisive for the game tomorrow in the semi-finals was kicked off the ball through out of [26:09] the pitch uh are you prepared is like it was uh making during when they start the game from the [26:16] center of the pitch also goalkeeper uh sometimes making it in semi-finals how do you think will they [26:22] do it again and generally what is the idea obviously we have analyzed everything that they do in in every [26:30] phase the same that i'm sure they've done but uh yeah we have prepared the possible scenarios and the [26:36] possible things that they try to do more than that to try to understand the purpose behind what they do [26:42] and what they want to achieve to ensure that we we take the game what we want okay yeah gentleman here [26:48] hi michael torregruppen tv2 norway um first of all uh how will you describe martin ödegård as a team leader [26:57] and i spoke to tio alcott earlier today and he compared the two of you as leading by example not by [27:05] speaking out loud what would you say martin uh he is himself he's um he's a person that you can trust [27:15] with your life it's a professional that it's probably the biggest role model that we have in [27:20] that dressing room and is a player that loves the game and respects every teammate and and loves to [27:27] play for us so he has all the attributes in his own way to lead the team in the manner that in my [27:32] opinion um he's great another day from gazeta del esport hi michael hi um i'm guessing do you have [27:38] time to realize where you are like you you brought the club from whatever it was when you took over [27:44] to the champions league final do you take the time to realize it or you just focus on the game we need [27:49] to win and then we'll see i'm present in the moment i'm living now here uh i want to go outside and [27:55] and be with the players outside and and and feel the moment and and start to to realize where we are [28:02] and tomorrow is a is a day to own it and uh as i said we we made bigger strikes in this competition [28:10] over the last few years to end the right to be in this position which is great but the ultimate goal [28:15] is clear and we have to to make it happen tomorrow okay we'll do the final two questions first the [28:19] gentleman here in the glasses and then we'll go to tve from spain hello michael sport24 from greece [28:25] after the game against city after the game against city declin rice shouted to his teammates that it's [28:32] not over is this the mentality of arsenal this year it was a natural reaction is what he felt in the [28:40] moment and after that game i i already said that was the feeling that i got as well and what i could [28:46] sense from the team and from that i think things turn around the energy turn around and the team started [28:53] to play with a different freedom because we didn't end to to lose that game and i think we showed um [28:58] a lot of composure and determination to to win the league and finally to tv spain in the back [29:03] i'm here for a spanish team arsenal has been very impressive in uh england [29:15] lots of titles for one but in europe it's not quite the same thing we know that up until now you haven't [29:20] been that successful you are a club that is admired all across the globe you could just see the [29:25] celebrations that we saw in nairobi in kenya once you took home that silverware therefore i just wanted [29:31] to ask you is there is this something that motivates you do you think that tomorrow if arsenal were to [29:39] win the champions league you'd be sealing your place next to the other big dogs yeah absolutely we've [29:46] grown a lot the history of our team has shown a lot tomorrow could be something that the club has never [29:52] ever been able to do it before and what would be great if we're able to do it