The UEFA Champions League is a yearly continental club soccer competition, which is organized by the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and is contested by the best European clubs. It is the world’s most impressive football tournaments and a chief impressive club competition in European soccer, which is played the champion of the national league of every UEFA national organization. The most watched final of the UEFA Champions League till date was the 2012–13 tournaments final. Plus, it was also the most watched yearly sporting event in the world in 2013.
History of the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League was established in 1992, when it substituted the European Cup or European Champion Clubs’ Cup, which ran since 1955. With the Champions League, multiple entrants from specific countries were allowed in the football tournament, which added a group phase to the football competition
Arsenal and UEFA Champions League
The first European football match of Arsenal was against Copenhagen XI, which took place on September 25, 1963. In it, Arsenal won with a score of 7-1 respectively in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Since then, the club has participated several times in many European club competitions, most of which were arranged by the UEFA.
Arsenal played in the European Super Cup of 1994 and repeated its attendance in the Winners’ Cup final the next year. The club finished the double in the season of 1997-98 and won the league, thus ensuring its participation in the Champions League for the very first time since the 1992 rebranding.
Subsequently, Arsenal was given the permission by UEFA and the Football Association to host the Champions League matches at their home, Wembley Stadium. This decision was made so that the club can benefit from higher attendances and increased revenue through its home matches.
Arsenal’s performance in the UEFA Champions League
Arsenal has lost in each of the previous 16 in the last 5 consecutive years. The club has reached the final of the Champions League once when it lost to Barcelona. Have a look at all the 17 exits of Arsenal from the UEFA Champions League.
In 1999, Arsenal lost the Champions League match with 0 goals against RC Lens that made 1 goal in its first group stage. This was the first season of Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. Then in 2000, Arsenal again lost with 0 goals against Fiorentina that scored 1 goal in the first group stage match at home.
In 2001, Arsenal lost to Valencia with the score of 0-1 respectively in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Club tried to score a late goal, but to no avail. Although it finally got through the first group stage match, Arsenal lost the quarter-final to Valencia.
In 2002, Arsenal lost to Juventus with the score of 0-1 respectively in the second group stage of the Champions League. This was the first exit of Wenger at the final 16 stage. Then, the following year in 2003, the club lost to Valencia with the score of 1-2 respectively in the second group stage match of the UEFA Champions League.
In 2004, Arsenal lost to Chelsea with the score of 1-2 respectively in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. In 2005, Arsenal got his first victory in a Champions League match, which was against Bayern Munich. They scored 1-0 respectively in the last 16. It was Thierry Henry who put the Gunners back with his second-leg goal.
In 2006, Arsenal lost to Barcelona with the score of 1-2 respectively in the Champions League finals. It was the closest that the club came to lifting the trophy with only 14 minutes away from fame in Paris. This year Arsenal became the first London team to emerge in the final of UEFA Champions League.
In 2007, Arsenal tied with PSV with a score of 1-1 respectively in the last 16. In 2008, Arsenal lost to Liverpool with a score of 2-4 respectively in the quarter-final of the Champions League. The match put Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals.
In 2009, Arsenal lost to Manchester United with a score of 1-3 respectively in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League at the Emirates Stadium. This was the most embarrassing defeat for Wenger. In 2010, Arsenal lost to Barcelona with a score of 1-4 respectively at the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It was Lionel Messi who ripped apart Arsenal by scoring 4 goals that brought Barcelona to the semi-finals.
In 2011, Arsenal lost to Barcelona again with a score of 1-3 respectively in the last 16. It was the first of five consecutive last 16 exits for the club. In 2012, Arsenal won against AC Milan with a score of 3-0 respectively in the last 16.
In 2013, Arsenal won against FC Bayern Munich with a score of 2-0 respectively in the last 16. In 2014, Arsenal saw a draw against FC Bayern Munich with a score of 1-1 respectively in the last 16. In 2015, Arsenal won against Monaco with a score of 2-0 respectively in the last 16.
Arsenal in the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League season
The 2016/2017 season of the Premier League is already in progress. However, Arsenal’s start was not so good. Nonetheless, there are still a lot of matches that the club has to play through which it can improve its status quo.
This season Arsenal did not see many new players. Right now, Arsenal does not have a lot of chances to win in this season. Still, a lot of Arsenal fans believe that the club might finally win the title this year, in spite of losing against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in its current season’s opening match.
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