Former Champions League winner Wesley Sneijder has jokingly suggested that UEFA should "intervene" to prevent Arsenal from featuring in the competition's final. The Gunners beat Atletico Madrid in their semi-final on Tuesday night to book their place in the showpiece event, which takes place in Budapest on May 30.
Bukayo Saka netted the only goal of the night at the Emirates Stadium, proving enough for Arsenal to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico. Arsenal will now turn their attention to the final later this month, where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
The second leg of the remaining semi-final sees Munich host PSG at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, with the visitors holding a 5-4 advantage heading into the clash. Arsenal's decisive goal arrived in the 44th minute, just before the break, and it was following the final whistle that Sneijder voiced his frustration with both sides' displays in north London.
Sneijder's Controversial Remarks
The former Inter Milan star and Netherlands international went further, suggesting that the second leg between PSG and Bayern Munich deserves to be considered the real Champions League final.
"I said after 35 minutes, UEFA must intervene," Sneijder, who also played for Tottenham, stated on Ziggo Sport. "They need to call London: both teams off the pitch, and tomorrow the final will be played between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain."
"I knew this would happen, Atletico dropped back and gave away possession, and Arsenal had a lot of control over the ball."
Arteta's Achievement Praised
Sneijder proceeded to commend both Arsenal and boss Mikel Arteta for making the final, marking the first time the Gunners will feature in the tournament's showpiece fixture since their loss to Barcelona back in 2006. "I looked at the players again, and Arteta already deserves a statue," Sneijder said.
"He simply doesn't have any top players, and with the current squad, he manages to push Atletico back, which is impressive." Arteta spoke about the victory over Atletico and the feelings he experienced after securing a place in the final, with the Gunners remaining undefeated throughout the tournament thus far.
"Yes, because we know how difficult and challenging every opponent is at this level," Arteta said. "Atletico, they are an incredible team, the way they compete, the solution they have, the answer they have to everything that you try to do to them immediately, it's incredible."
"The reason that they've been there, they've done an outstanding job there, and the margins are so small, and tonight they go for us."
