Sir Alex Ferguson shared a message with Paris Saint-Germain about Arsenal after the Champions League final.
Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t hold back when congratulating Paris Saint-Germain on winning their second Champions League in a row.
On Saturday, Arsenal and PSG faced off at the Puskas Arena in Budapest for a chance to make history in the Champions League final. For Arsenal, a win would have ended their 20-year wait for a European trophy since their last final in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.
PSG, on the other hand, were aiming to become the 10th club to win back-to-back Champions League titles, joining famous teams like Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool.
After a tough match, PSG came out on top. The game ended 1-1 after regular time, and PSG won the trophy in a penalty shootout.
Millions around the world watched the match, including fans hoping one of the teams would fall short. Among them was former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. According to French news outlet L’Equipe, Ferguson sent a personal message to PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi to congratulate him on the win.
But Ferguson didn’t hold back in his message. He also took a jab at Arsenal and their manager, Mikel Arteta, calling the team “boring” because of how they played.
“Nasser, this is Alex Ferguson. Well done, it was a tough night for you, but you played against a boring team that did nothing but defend,” Ferguson wrote. “Enjoy your holidays, you deserve it.”
However, British journalist Ben Jacobs later said that Ferguson didn’t actually use the word “boring” about Arsenal. Instead, Jacobs shared that Ferguson’s message described Arsenal as “the team that played football.”
This season, Arsenal have received criticism from some fans and experts for their more defensive and cautious style of play. In fact, during the final, Arsenal had just 24.7% possession—the lowest for any team in a Champions League final since 2003-04—and their only shot on target came from Kai Havertz’s goal.
Arsenal fans likely aren’t bothered by this criticism since their style helped them win their fourth Premier League title this season. But after the final, manager Mikel Arteta said the team might need to change their approach to have a chance at winning big in Europe next year.
“First, I’ll take a few days with my family, then we’ll review what we’ve done,” Arteta said. “We’ll make some important decisions if we want to reach the next level. It will take ambition, speed, and smart work.”
He also praised PSG and their coach Luis Enrique. “In my opinion, they are the best team in the world. What they can do with the ball and on their own is amazing. It’s not always our plan to play in certain areas without the ball, but they forced us to. So more credit to their players.”