No love for Arsenal? English fans divided ahead of Champions League final • FRANCE 24 English
What exactly is the issue with Arsenal? Here in France, we just assume that everyone in England's enamoured with the storied team of Arsène Wenger
What exactly is the issue with Arsenal? Here in France, we just assume that everyone in England's enamoured with the storied team of Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira…and all the other greats all the way to the present and French international defender William Saliba. Ahead of Arsenal versus Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, our panel delves into the not-always-rational, always impassionate world of football fandom. So regarding the side that’s just won its first Premier League title in 22 years, is it about the way they play?
Their attitude? An anti-London sentiment? An anti-north London sentiment? Contrast that with the love the Gunners get here in France and in much of Africa. Likewise, donning a PSG jersey will earn you compliments on several continents but panelists may advise against in Marseille and a host of other points across France. Old domestic grudges are hard to overcome, even when a side's defending European champions, even when its Qatari owners booted out hooligans a decade ago and today have streamlined big egos in the dressing room in favor of an exciting brand of fast-paced, teamwork-oriented play.
Perhaps what lovers and haters of both Arsenal and PSG can agree on… is that at least Saturday’s final between those two big city sides might possibly serve up that key ingredient what could lack when the FIFA World Cup kicks off in exactly two weeks in North America: authenticity. Is the beautiful game bigger than the toxic build-up to any one tournament…or will this bloated 48-team, price surged, travel ban-threatened World Cup be a game-changer for football?
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