- Jamie Carragher has disclosed he does not want Arsenal to win the Champions League this season
- The ex-Liverpool defender believes PSG winning would be better for football due to their team-first approach
- Arsenal faces PSG in the semi-finals, with Barcelona or Inter Milan awaiting in the final
Liverpool legend and pundit Jamie Carragher has stirred the pot ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals by openly admitting he does not want Arsenal to win the tournament.
The Gunners defied all odds when they eliminated reigning Champions and Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
Source: Getty Images
Opta now have Arsenal as the favourites to win the Champions League and has given the Gunners a 32 percent chance of lifting the trophy for the first time in their history, Give Me Sport reports.
The North London side is widely regarded as one of the biggest clubs to never win the Champions League, with their best outing being losing the final to Barcelona in 2006.
Why Carragher is backing PSG over Arsenal
According to Daily Post, Carragher gave his reasons while throwing support behind Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal’s upcoming opponents.
“I can’t say I’d like to see Arsenal win it because I’d just be lying,” said Carragher, candidly.
“I don’t like to see other English teams winning big European competitions.”
His comments come as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal prepares to face PSG in a highly anticipated two-leg semi-final clash, with the first leg kicking off next week.
The winner of this encounter will face either Barcelona or Inter Milan in the final next month in Germany.
Source: Getty Images
While his national bias is clear, Carragher’s reasoning goes beyond just rivalry as the former defender believes a PSG victory would represent a shift in European football culture, away from superstar-heavy lineups to a more cohesive, team-first approach.
“If PSG won it, it’s almost good for the game in that they have had the Messi, Neymar and Mbappe era and are now moving on,” he explained.
“They’ve moved away from relying solely on individual brilliance. It’s now more about young, energetic, top players, more of a team.”
Road to the Final: Arsenal and PSG on collision course
Arsenal booked their place in the semi-finals after a hard-fought victory over Real Madrid, knocking out the Spanish giants in a thrilling quarter-final tie. Meanwhile, PSG punched their ticket by defeating Aston Villa in a confident display.
The Gunners are chasing their first Champions League title in club history, while PSG continue their quest for long-awaited European glory.
With Barcelona and Inter Milan also looming in the other semi-final, the path to the trophy is stacked with football royalty.
UEFA propose rule changes for UCL
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that UEFA are reportedly proposing three new rule changes to the European club competitions ahead of next season after the first year of the new format.
The 2024/25 season witnessed a new format: a single table of 36 teams, with each team playing eight different opponents each in the Champions League and Europa League and six each in the Conference League.
All three formats are in the semifinal stage, and UEFA are already considering changes that will make it better ahead of the second season of the new formats.
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Source: Legit.ng
