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Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers labelled her side’s game management as ‘unbelievable’ after The Gunners defeated FC Barcelona 1-0 in the 2024/2025 UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Lisbon last night.
Stina Blackstenius came off the bench to net the winning goal 16 minutes from time. The victory ended Arsenal’s 18-year wait to become champions of Europe once again.
When speaking in the post-match press conference, Arsenal boss Slegers said that her side’s decision-making and game management proved to be the difference.
“Of course, I’m super-proud,” Slegers said. “You can have all of these ideas in your head, show video and animations, use your tactics board and do it in training but when the moment is actually there and you’re playing an opponent that is so good, to execute it in a Champions League final, it says so much about the players.
“It’s not an easy game to play, it’s probably the hardest game that we’ve played so far. With all of the quality that Barcelona has, all of the rotations and all of their individual threats, there was so much to deal with. The players had to make decisions in every single second on the pitch; every step was going to make a difference and every decision was going to make a difference.
“We knew that momentum would shift and that it would be on our side at times but we were also very aware of their qualities and that we would have to suffer at times. The way we managed the game for me was unbelievable, it was above all expectation. It was spot on what the players delivered on the pitch and in crucial moments.”
Slegers initially landed the Arsenal job on an interim basis last October before being given the role permanently after the winter break. She hailed the players’ investment in the process and their effort throughout her time in charge.
She said “It’s been a fantastic time. There are so many things that have happened this season, so many hard times that we have gone through together as a team but we’ve always fought back.
“As a team, the belief was growing every single day. There were a couple of critical moments in the season that gave us evidence of what we are capable of. Everyone who has been in the building has seen that it has been growing every single day because of the investment and the effort that the players have been putting in. There has been so much engagement, so much investment, so much belief and intensity in the way that we train. I’m so happy for everyone because everything we’ve been asking for, all the demands we’ve had and the questions we’ve asked of the players, they’ve got the reward. They’re so worth it because they’ve worked extremely hard.
“We’ve achieved something enormous but there’s even more to give in this team. We are really going to celebrate and enjoy the moment, have some time off, have the EUROs and national team camps then we come back and I’m so excited for more with this team.”
After ending Arsenal’s 18-year wait for another major European trophy, Slegers highlighted the importance of the success and said that the club are not finished in their quest for silverware.
She said “It means so much to everyone who has built towards this across many years but it also means so much for the future. It motivates people, it motivates us and it shows what we are capable of.
“There’s even more in the group but the strength has been in the here and now. We are trying to be better every single day.
“If you’re part of Arsenal then you go for trophies, that’s what the club wants and that’s what we want as well.”
Arsenal’s previous European success came in the old UEFA Women’s Cup back in 2006/2007. They are the first English club to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League in its current format.
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