Breaking the curse

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Tonight's UEFA Champions League final is not only the pinnacle of the European football season but also the culmination of the long-standing quest to break the curse for ambitious clubs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal.

"You can't win championships with kids"—this common view in football is often cited by the general public, most notably by Sir Alex Ferguson whenever he faces an opponent.   Arsenal   Failure. After achieving the feat of leading Arsenal to the Premier League title in the 2003-2004 season with an unprecedented unbeaten record, "Professor" Wenger painstakingly built a team from a young age, generation after generation.

Throughout the final years of his tenure, his only achievement was helping Arsenal secure a top-four finish. Many who admired him in Vietnam at the time used the term "Uncle Tư" (Uncle Tư) to allude to his top-four finishes. From 2004 to 2026, it was 22 years of longing and disappointment. The former captain on the field, now Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, won the Premier League title with a young, mature squad averaging 23.6 years old.

PSG will face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final. Photo: uefa.com

While Arteta remained steadfast, PSG's coach, Enrique, was decisive. He frankly abandoned his dependence on big names, most recently Mbappe, to build a new, more united, balanced, and well-rounded team with a large number of young talents. The average age of the Parisian team in this final was even more than a year younger than Arsenal's. There are many reasons and much to say about the philosophies and approaches to using young players from these two clubs, but let me reiterate one common truth: if you are determined to see it through, talented individuals will achieve success.

While PSG aims to defend their title tonight, Arsenal hopes to win their first European title in 140 years since their founding, and more recently, 20 years after their 1-2 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final under Wenger. For many years, numerous top European teams have been haunted by the label of "apprentices" in the continent's highest competition. Even "Professor" Wenger himself pointed out that only a very small group of clubs (around 5-6 teams) possess the depth, financial strength, and class to win the UEFA Champions League. But football doesn't stop there; the "apprentices" continue to thrive.   Chelsea and Manchester City have fulfilled their ambitions of winning the title. In France, PSG, the current leading contender after years of dominating Ligue 1 and only dreaming of the continental crown, has finally succeeded. In England, the remaining big name, Arsenal, has their chance tonight.

However, there's another curse, from the renowned Arsenal and Barcelona player, Henry. He rightly pointed out that Arsenal will find it difficult to win the title this year because they lack a star player capable of deciding the match. It's true that Arsenal's attack, with players like Saka, Havertz, and Martinelli, is excellent, but it can't compete with PSG's Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, and Doue. However, it's worth remembering that Havertz, a striker not considered outstanding, scored the only goal that helped Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the UEFA Champions League 2020-2021. Of course, this year they are more experienced, as evidenced by their attack eliminating top contender Bayern Munich by scoring more goals than their opponent in the semi-finals with a total score of 6-5.

But there's no one-sidedness in football. Sir Ferguson said, not as a curse but as a well-known adage: "Attack wins you games, defense wins you trophies." Unlike the flamboyant Wenger era or Arteta's early years in charge, and especially this season, Arsenal now boasts the strongest defense in the Premier League and even in European competitions. Even more interesting and formidable are center-backs Saliba, Gabriel, and their teammates, who are key figures in set-piece situations in front of the opponent's goal...

Whether the talented, speedy "Prince of Paris" or the pragmatic, tenacious "Gunners of London" will reign supreme remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: football is evolving and overcoming its curses.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/hoa-giai-loi-nguyen-5093869.html