Arsenal’s defeat in the 2006 Champions League final still hurts supporters nearly two decades later.
That night in Paris felt like the club’s greatest opportunity to become champions of Europe for the very first time.
The Gunners had overcome Real Madrid and Juventus on their way to the final and arrived full of confidence despite facing a brilliant Barcelona side.
Most people still believe Arsenal lost purely because Jens Lehmann was sent off early in the game, but Arsene Wenger has now revealed there was another major problem before kick-off.
👀 TRUE or FALSE: Mikel Arteta will become Arsenal’s greatest ever coach if he wins the PL and UCL titles…
Arsene Wenger says Arsenal’s late arrival hurt them in the 2006 final
The 2006 Arsenal side is still remembered incredibly fondly by supporters.
Even though it was not quite as dominant as the Invincibles team from two years earlier, Wenger had still built an outstanding young squad capable of beating anybody in Europe.
The Gunners proved that by knocking out both Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockout stages of the Champions League without losing a single game.
Everything seemed perfectly set up for Arsenal to finally conquer Europe in Paris against Barcelona. However, Wenger has now revealed that the preparation before the game was far from ideal.
According to the legendary Arsenal manager, the team were unable to get to the stadium properly because they were not allowed to use the motorway on the way to the Stade de France.
That meant Arsenal only arrived around 45 minutes before kick-off.
Speaking about the final, Wenger said, as per The Mirror: “In 2004 we were invincible, and by 2006 the team was a bit younger, but we still had a very strong side.
“We knocked out the Galacticos at Real Madrid and Juventus, who were financially very strong at the time. We reached the final against Barcelona unbeaten in the knockout stages.
“One regret was that we couldn’t get to the stadium on time. We arrived only 45 minutes before kick-off because we weren’t allowed to use the motorway to get to the Stade de France.”
Wenger then admitted the biggest turning point was still Lehmann’s red card.
He added: “The biggest regret was that we played with ten men for 70 minutes.
“We were 1–0 up and had chances to make it 2–0, but we missed them and eventually lost 2–1 against a top Barcelona team.”
This is our Arsenal XI for the Champions League final vs PSG. What changes would you make?
Arsenal fans will love what Arsene Wenger has said about the 2026 Champions League final vs PSG
For many Arsenal supporters, the pain of Paris in 2006 has never fully disappeared. That final felt like the beginning of years of heartbreak in Europe for the football club.
Now, almost 20 years later, Arsenal finally have the opportunity to put things right.
The Champions League final against PSG is not just another huge game, it is a chance to erase some of the trauma from 2006 and create the greatest night in Arsenal’s history.
Wenger himself clearly still feels the regret from losing to Barcelona, but his final words about this current team will excite supporters.
“The regret is still there, but this time we will come back and win it.”
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
