While Arsenal Women were celebrating their place as Europe’s top team at the end of the 2024–25 season, the men’s side were forced to look at the empty spaces in their trophy cabinet.
The Gunners do have two European honors to their name, having won the 1970 Inter-Cities Fair Cup and the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup, but neither are recognized as major titles as Arsenal continue to fight to get their name engraved on the Champions League trophy for the first time.
Arsenal have come perilously close in the past and are hopeful of going all the way this season, just 90 minutes separating them from a spot in the final.
If Mikel Arteta’s side do reach the showpiece event, they will hope their fortunes are better than their last appearance in the final.
Arsenal’s Last Champions League Final Appearance
Arsenal last reached the final in 2006. | Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images
The Gunners became the first London team to reach a Champions League final in 2006, when Arsène Wenger’s side battled their way to the spectacle in Paris. Arsenal breezed through a weak group stage before making some serious noise in the knockouts as they eliminated Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal without conceding a single goal.
Waiting for Arsenal at Stade de France that year were a Barcelona side who were just starting to learn about a certain Lionel Messi. The Argentine was in his first season as a starter but did not play beyond the round of 16 after a season-ending hamstring injury.
Losing Messi, at that point, was no concern for Barcelona, who still had the likes of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Deco in the starting lineup. Future stalwarts Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were both on the bench.
Barcelona starting XI: Valdés; Oleguer, Márquez, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst; Edmilson, Deco, Van Bommel; Giuly, Eto’o, Ronaldinho.
Arsenal starting XI: Lehmann; Eboué, Touré, Campbell, Cole; Pirès, Gilberto, Fàbregas, Hleb; Ljungberg; Henry.
Despite Arsenal’s success, Barcelona were heavy favorites. They were widely accepted to be the best team on the planet and did not need the boost of a red card to Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann after just 18 minutes.
Lehmann became the first player in the history of the European Cup to be sent off in the final when he hauled Eto’o to the ground outside the box. Ludovic Giuly went on to score but play was pulled back for the red card.
Forced to dig in, Arsenal actually took an unlikely lead as Sol Campbell headed home a Thierry Henry free kick shortly before the break, and they weathered the Barcelona storm all the way up to the 76th minute before Eto’o slotted home an equalizer.
It took just four more minutes for substitute defender Juliano Belletti to power home a winner, marking Arsenal’s status as the first team to finish as a runner-up in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.
Arsenal’s Last European Final Appearance
Arsenal fell to Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final. | Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Arsenal have actually lost three major European finals. Alongside their Champions League spot in 2006, the Gunners made it all the way in the UEFA Cup in 1999–00 and the Europa League, the spiritual successor to the UEFA Cup, in 2018–19.
Their trip to the final in 2000 was ended on penalties after defeat to Galatasaray, while 2019’s defeat to Chelsea was particularly painful as former Gunners favorite Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in a 4–1 romp which proved to be Eden Hazard’s final appearance for the Blues.
Arsenal’s European Record in Champions League Era
Season
Competition
Final Position
1996–97
UEFA Cup
Round 1
1997–98
UEFA Cup
Round 1
1998–99
Champions League
Group Stage
1999–00
Champions League
Group Stage
1999–00
UEFA Cup
Final
2000–01
Champions League
Quarterfinals
2001–02
Champions League
Second Group Stage
2002–03
Champions League
Second Group Stage
2003–04
Champions League
Quarterfinals
2004–05
Champions League
Round of 16
2005–06
Champions League
Final
2006–07
Champions League
Round of 16
2007–08
Champions League
Quarterfinals
2008–09
Champions League
Semifinals
2009–10
Champions League
Quarterfinals
2010–11
Champions League
Round of 16
2011–12
Champions League
Round of 16
2012–13
Champions League
Round of 16
2013–14
Champions League
Round of 16
2014–15
Champions League
Round of 16
2015–16
Champions League
Round of 16
2016–17
Champions League
Round of 16
2017–18
Europa League
Semifinals
2018–19
Europa League
Final
2019–20
Europa League
Round of 32
2020–21
Europa League
Semifinals
2022–23
Europa League
Round of 16
2023–24
Champions League
Quarterfinals
2024–25
Champions League
Semifinals
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