As featured on NewsNow: Football news

Arteta: Arsenal belong in Champions League; pride and excitement now we're BACK

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is excited to taking the club back into the Champions League tonight.

The Gunners open their first campaign in six years against PSV Eindhoven.

Arteta said: “Proud and excited. It's been a long time for the club since we have been in the competition and obviously it's the first time for me as a manager, so I'm really looking forward to it.

“We've been chasing it and fighting for it and now we've got it, we have to make the most out of it. It starts at home and I'm sure our supporters are going to be really excited about it and it's about managing that and enjoying the challenge.

“Every time I watched it and we weren't there, I felt it. I think you put pressure on yourself. This club has to be in the Champions League. When I have the job that I have, I have the responsibility to try to bring the club to the biggest stages, to the biggest tournament and then be fighting for them. It was a process but now we are here, we have to make the most out of it."

Reflecting on the past few seasons, he added: “I think it's a learning process. When you're looking to achieve, you have to take some lessons from that. I think we did that and we got better as a team and we did the right things as well to improve the squad. Now we are here and I think we fully deserve to be here.

“Every day you have something to prove. Tomorrow I have to prove that we have prepared in the best possible way and that we are giving the players the best possible chance to play as well as we possibly can to win the game. That's the reality of the sport.

“We have players that have played in it for many years, and some of them have won it. It's just mixing that experience and deciding to make your debut in the right way to perform at the highest level."

Video of the day:

About the author

Paul Vegas

Have your say
×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

  1. Go Ad-Free
  2. Faster site experience
  3. Support great writing
  4. Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free
×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free