Resilience to excellence.
Arsenal’s journey to becoming Queens of Europe has been far from simple. A season of setbacks, especially in the Champions League, would be enough to break most teams, but not Arsenal.
I’ve been lucky enough to be around the team all week and all season. When they said they believed they could beat the all-conquering Barcelona you could tell it was genuine.
No side has gone from the start of the Champions League qualifying rounds to the final, never mind win the whole competition.
They lost the first leg against Hacken during qualifying but made it through. They lost 5-2 to Bayern in the group stage but made it through. They overcame deficits against Real Madrid and Lyon in the knockout stages but made it through. And now they’ve gone from underdogs to top dogs against the best team on the continent.
Steph Cately, Leah Williamson and Chloe Kelly celebrate Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League victory
It’s even more remarkable considering how low the squad felt in the build-up to and after the departure of Jonas Eidevall. Enter the coach that will go down in Arsenal history…
“Renee Slegers, what a woman,” Chloe Kelly proudly said to me after the game.
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From nearly taking a break from football to being a Champions League winner in May. An emotional Chloe Kelly reveals she will always be grateful for Arsenal in what could be her last game for the club
The England winger credits Slegers with saving her career and she isn’t the only player to see the Dutch coach as the saviour of Arsenal’s season.
When she took over in an interim capacity the morale of the squad was lower than it had been for years.
They’d dropped too many points as early as October to be considered realistic WSL title contenders and their European dreams hung by a thread.
Slegers came in and instilled belief, confidence and personal freedom within the team.
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Renee Slegers insists there is even more to come from her Arsenal side after the Gunners clinched a sensational Women’s Champions League title with victory over Barcelona
Her open-door policy was seen as a way not only to improve performances but also talk about issues outside the beautiful game too.
“Renee is the glue,” defender Emily Fox admits. It’s not an empty platitude, the players are keen to show their appreciation.
Arsenal had some stellar candidates for the top job but Slegers proved the culture she created off the pitch and the improvements in results were something many with more experience in the game could only dream of.
Senior sources at Arsenal insist they’re happy with where they’re at with their coach but her contract expires at the end of next season. You’d think a big extension and an even bigger pay rise is on the horizon.
But those conversations are for another day. Right now, let’s just allow Arsenal to enjoy an achievement no other English team has pulled off. They’ve won the Champions League.
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