The Champions League final is now set, and it will be Arsenal against PSG in Budapest.
Mikel Arteta’s side booked their place by beating Atletico Madrid over two legs, while PSG overcame Bayern Munich in a thrilling semi-final.
It promises to be an incredible clash between two of the best teams in Europe, and there is also a fascinating managerial battle on the horizon between Arteta and Luis Enrique.
The PSG boss was already joking about the Arsenal manager immediately after reaching the final.
Arsenal are Champions League finalists, sum up your emotions in one sentence
Luis Enrique tells Jamie Carragher to invite Mikel Arteta to a party before the Champions League final
PSG’s victory over Bayern Munich sparked huge celebrations in the French club’s camp, but Enrique still found time for a joke during his post-match media duties.
While speaking on CBS Sports, Jamie Carragher invited the PSG manager to attend a party the team were hosting on the eve of the Champions League final.
Enrique quickly turned the conversation towards Arteta instead.
The Spaniard jokingly suggested that Carragher should invite the Arsenal boss to the event before the biggest game of his managerial career.
The comment instantly sent the studio into laughter.
Thierry Henry, Micah Richards, Kate Scott, Clint Dempsey and Carragher himself all burst out laughing at Enrique’s response.
He said: “No, no, no, I will not be there, but you invite Mikel Arteta.
“I think he deserves to go a day before (the final) with you.”
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Luis Enrique praises Mikel Arteta
Behind the jokes, there is clearly a huge amount of admiration from Enrique towards Arteta and the work he has done at Arsenal.
The two Spaniards go way back and actually played together during their younger years.
Now, they will face each other in the biggest club game in world football with the Champions League trophy on the line.
Enrique made it clear that he rates Arteta extremely highly and knows Arsenal will pose a huge challenge in Budapest.
He said, as per The Metro: “I appreciate Mikelito Arteta! We used to be teammates when we were kids, he did a great job at Arsenal.
“It will be a difficult, hard game, but we believe in our football style.”
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