Alessia Russo of Arsenal has focused on silverware with Arsenal this season while the Gunners are preparing to hire Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League.
In-form Russo is the second highest scorer in the Women's Super League with 10 goals this season and has also registered five times in Europe.
ARSENAL – The only English club that the Champions League has won, after Glory in 2007 – are preparing for their quarter -final first stage against Las Blancas on Tuesday.
They have each won of their last five Champions League matches, their joint long-winning series ever in the competition (also five between September 2012 and March 2013).
Tuesday's collision will also be the first Champions League match of Arsenal against a Spanish opponent since the 2021-22 group, when they lost at home and away from Barcelona.
And Russo, who made the move to North Londs in 2023 from Manchester United, is convinced that she can win a second big honor with the Gunners in Europe Elite Competition.
“Our goal as a team is to keep progressing in this competition,” Russo told a press conference in Madrid.
“When you come and sign for Arsenal, you understand the legacy of the club and the history of their successes in winning trophies and I want to be part of this with this club.
“I want to keep pushing and keeping to win trophies because, knowing of earlier tournaments, there is nothing going to win a trophy with a team.”
Squad pic.twitter.com/xkdpxthjhk
– Arsenal Women (@ARSENALWFC) March 17, 2025
The Champions League represents the only chance of Arsenal to win a trophy this season, with the Gunners beaten out of the FA Cup earlier this month by Liverpool.
“We were really disappointed to go out of the FA Cup. We thought about it and we set up a good performance in the next game against Everton,” Russo added.
“And this game that comes tomorrow is a new chance for us to keep building and show what Arsenal is about.
“I have full faith in the players and the staff around the team and I know we can continue to achieve great things.
“So yes, it's one game at the same time. But at the moment we are really fully focused on Madrid and then move forward.”
The revival of Arsenal in the Fortuinen in the competition has been helped by the leadership of Renee -Lies, which Jonas Eidevall have replaced in October.
The Gunners started their campaign with a miserable 5-2 defeat against Bayern Munich, but were able to restore two points above the German outfit at the top of group C.
SLESSEN also led Arsenal to second place in the WSL, making 16 of her 20 games in charge (D1 L3), and said that her transition in the club was made easy.
“The foundations were already there. You don't build a team at night; it has been built over the years and everything the club has done to be leading with their ladies team worldwide,” said butchers.
“That is all heritage that I am happy to receive. I was part of Jonas's employees as an individual assistant coach, and I enjoyed my time. I think we have done very well, but since my role has changed, we have tried to emphasize a number of things.
“It's about where you emphasize and the little things you want to change, how you want to get the best out of us.
“A big thing for me is culture. I think we all know that we are great football players. We are a great team, but culture is also very important for me to get the maximum from all individuals and get everyone in the same direction.”
All eyes on Madrid pic.twitter.com/9vommi3gh
– Arsenal Women (@ARSENALWFC) March 17, 2025
Slegers also said she was planning to use the Spanish duo Laia Codina and Maria Caldentey for her preparations for the competition prior to Madrid.
Both Codina and Caldentey played for Las Blancas' Rivals Barcelona and enjoyed relative success against them during their time in Spain.
“I spoke with Codina and Mariona to get some information because they have often played against them,” Slagers added.
“They know what it's like, they know how the circumstances are, how the stadium is and what kind of football they play.
“There are some things that you can't always see on tactical images, so they have more details, which is great. So they were part of the process that led to this game.”
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