Mikel Arteta reveals what Carlo Ancelotti told him about Arsenal winning Champions League after knocking Real Madrid out
Mikel Arteta has said that Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti told him he hopes Arsenal win the UEFA Champions League. This comes after the English giants eliminated Los Blancos in the quarter-finals.
The Gunners emphatically won the first leg 3-0 at the Emirates last week. They visited the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, hoping to preserve that lead or even build on it. In an enthralling game, they won 2-1 and won the tie 5-1 on aggregate.
After the game, Mikel Arteta revealed what the Real Madrid boss told him, saying (via Madrid Xtra):
“Ancelotti told me that he hopes Arsenal win the UCL.”
Arsenal have notably never won the UEFA Champions League in their history. However, they stand a great chance now and are just three matches away from the trophy.
The Gunners will now face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the two-legged semi-finals. The Parisians beat Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. The winner of that tie will face either Barcelona or Inter Milan in the final at the Allianz Arena.
Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid's defeat against Arsenal
The Gunners held a huge 3-0 advantage from the first leg and started well on Wednesday as well. Raul Asencio was deemed to have fouled Mikel Merino, leading to a penalty in the 13th minute. However, Thibaut Courtois saved it.
Real Madrid then received a penalty in the 23rd minute as Declan Rice was deemed to have fouled Kylian Mbappe. However, the decision was overturned upon a VAR review. After a goalless first half, Arsenal scored in the 65th minute through Bukayo Saka.
Vinicius Jr. equalized for Real Madrid two minutes later, but Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-1 on the night in the third minute of stoppage time. After the game, Carlo Ancelotti said (via Managing Madrid):
“It’s disappointing to be eliminated from the Champions League, it’s quite normal to think that. It’s the other side of football. We’ve been through the happy part many times, today it’s time for the other, and we have to deal with it. There are three more competitions, and we have to focus on them. We have to accept it; in both games, Arsenal have been better than us. We tried; there was a moment with that penalty they disallowed that could have changed the tie. But Arsenal defended very well; we couldn’t find any space. We showed intensity, but it wasn’t enough.
If you give up, it means you haven’t handled this sad moment well. I have to focus the team, we have to be protagonists, there are important matches left. I’m not afraid of the team’s response; they have to keep their heads high, I’ve told them that. They have to keep fighting and learning for the next match.”
Real Madrid are also in the LaLiga title race, sitting four points behind Barcelona. They will also face their arch-rivals in the Copa del Rey final.