Arsenal face Champions League redemption in Budapest final

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will lead the club in its second Champions League final, 20 years after their 2006 Paris defeat.

The 2006 final in Paris saw goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off after 18 minutes as Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1. That loss marked the start of two decades without a major European trophy for Arsenal.

Arteta joined Arsenal in 2019 and has since rebuilt the squad, culminating in a run to the 2024 Champions League final. The final will take place in Budapest on June 1 at the Puskás Aréna.

Arsenal last won the Champions League in 1994 under manager George Graham. Their 2006 defeat followed their Invincibles era, where they went unbeaten in the 2003-04 Premier League season.

Arteta’s side defeated Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and Real Madrid in the semi-finals to reach the final. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are among key players in Arteta’s current squad.

The final will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the US.