Arsenal welcomes Real Madrid in the Champions League Quarter Finals on Tuesday evening and Gunners -Baas Mikel Arteta admitted that it is the biggest competition of his management career
Mikel Arteta has told his players to write their own story with a 'statement' victory on Real Madrid.
Gunners -Baas Arteta described the showdown of the Champions League Quarter as the biggest competition of his own management career. But Arteta probably believes that his players are ready to perform and take their place in the largest stage of European football by beating the 15 time winners.
When asked whether Arsenal should make a big statement to Real Madrid to become a member of the elite, Arteta said: “That is exactly what we need.
“To create that, you have to go through obstacles and we have been one to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in a long time and now we have done it twice in a row.
“It is 20 years ago that we had this kind of game and for us it is a great opportunity to build our own story and this is what we are here.
“Now we want a lot more and we are able to do it, very able to do it. I am a lot convinced that we can do it and the team, and everyone in the stadium, will feel the same.”
Arsenal had not reached a quarterfinals in 14 years before he went to Bayern Munich last year and has now reached back-to-back quarter finals. They have never won the trophy and they once got it was the final of 2006 they lost from Barcelona.
But Arteta insisted that Arsenal will not fear Real Madrid and also encouraged his players to play the opposition instead of their history.
Arteta said: “That is very important, because that is not something that we can interfere and also because the more we are convinced in ourselves, the more we feel it, the less they will have and we should not give them the opportunity to use against us.
“Our mentality will be very, very important. I love competing against the best, I like to be challenged against the best in a competition that has something very, very special that we have no history of winning as a football club.
“So the hunger and desire … nobody can be more hungry and desire than we are. It is impossible.”