After PSG defeated Arsenal in a penalty shootout to successfully defend their Champions League title, Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi received many congratulations from the football world. Among these was a message from Alex Ferguson, the manager who won the tournament twice with Man Utd in 1999 and 2008.

According to French newspaper L'Equipe, Ferguson messaged Al-Khelaifi: "Nasser, it's Alex Ferguson. Congratulations. The final was tough for PSG, but you had to face a boring team that only knew how to defend. Enjoy your vacation; you deserve it."

Legendary manager Alex Ferguson (wearing a hat) stood next to Man Utd co-owner Jim Ratcliffe in the stands at Old Trafford during the Premier League match against Tottenham on 14/1/2024. *Photo: AFP*

The message's content was widely reported by the media because Ferguson not only praised PSG but also seemed to downplay Arsenal, a long-standing rival of Man Utd in the Premier League. However, journalist Ben Jacobs later denied that Ferguson used the word "boring" to describe Arsenal. According to this source, what the former Scottish manager actually wrote was: "You are the team that plays football."

Despite the different phrasing, the overall message indicated that Ferguson viewed PSG as the team that actively played attacking football and controlled the match more. On social media, many fans suggested that if Ferguson's message implied "only PSG played football", it was even worse than calling Arsenal boring. The account LordPunk wrote on Reddit: "Boring is still better than 'not playing football'."

The moment Saka was not allowed to take a corner kick for time-wasting.

Ferguson's comments emerged as Arsenal continued to face criticism for their playing style in the Champions League final. Mikel Arteta's team took the lead through Kai Havertz, but Ousmane Dembele equalized from a penalty. The two teams drew 1-1 over 120 minutes before PSG won 4-3 in the penalty shootout.

Statistics clearly reflected Arsenal's disadvantaged position. The English representative maintained an average ball possession of only 24,7%, the lowest in Champions League final history since Opta began recording this data in the 2003-2004 season. Havertz's goal was also Arsenal's only shot on target in 120 minutes.

Arsenal's defensive playing style had been a subject of debate throughout the season. Although it helped them win the Premier League for the 4th time in club history (since the 1992-1993 season), Arteta's approach was deemed too cautious by many opponents and experts when competing in European tournaments.

After the final, Arteta himself admitted that Arsenal needed to change if they wanted to conquer the Champions League in the future. "I will spend a few days with my family and then begin the process of evaluating the season", he said. "We will have to make some very important decisions if we want to reach a new level."

Gabriel missed the decisive penalty kick in the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG at Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary on 30/5. *Photo: Reuters*

Arteta believed the team needed to show greater ambition to compete for European titles. He also praised PSG and his counterpart, Luis Enrique. "I want to congratulate PSG, especially Luis Enrique", the 44-year-old manager added. "PSG are the best in the world right now. What they do with the ball, their individual plays, I have never seen before. Our plan was not to drop deep in certain areas without the ball, but they forced us to do so."

Not only Ferguson, but several PSG members also believed the French team deserved to win due to their more proactive approach. Midfielder Joao Neves affirmed that PSG was the only team that wanted to play football in the final. Vitinha commented that Arsenal wasted time in every situation.

Chairman Al-Khelaifi also could not hide his emotions after witnessing PSG become the 10th club in history to successfully defend the European Cup/Champions League. "Today is a historic, wonderful day. Winning consecutively is not easy because the Champions League is very demanding", the 52-year-old leader said. "I am very proud of the team, the manager, the coaching staff, and the fans."

Al-Khelaifi revealed that he believed PSG would win even before the match and maintained that belief after the first half. Nevertheless, the head of the French club still showed respect for Arsenal. "It's unfortunate for Arsenal. They are great, and I have great respect for them", Al-Khelaifi added.

By Hoang An (via MEN)