Sir Alex Ferguson sent message to Paris Saint-Germain about Arsenal after Champions League final
Sir Alex Ferguson didn't hold back when congratulating Paris Saint-Germain on winning their second consecutive Champions League.
On Saturday afternoon, both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain stepped out at the Puskas Arena in Budapest with the chance to write their names into the history books in the Champions League final.
For the Gunners, a win in Budapest would see the London club finally end their wait for a European trophy 20 years after their last appearance in the final, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.
Meanwhile, PSG had the chance to become the 10th club to win successive titles in the Champions League/ European Cup, joining the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
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After a hard-fought final, it was PSG who came away as the victors, with a 1-1 draw in normal time, leading to the Parisians securing the Champions League trophy in a penalty shootout.
The match was watched by millions across the world, with rivals of both clubs no doubt tuning in to hopefully watch them fall short in the biggest game of the season.
Among those watching was former Manchester United manager Ferguson, who, as per French outlet L’Equipe, sent a personal message to congratulate PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi after his side's win in the final.
But, Ferguson also made sure to use the message to send a brutal dig at his former rivals and at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, labelling the team as 'boring' due to their performance.
"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," the United legend wrote.
"Enjoy your holidays, you deserve it."
However, shortly after news of Ferguson's message emerged online, British journalist Ben Jacobs denied that the Premier League legend had used the word 'boring' when referring to Arsenal.
Instead, he claims the message included the phrase, “You were the team that played football”.
Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal need to 'show that ambition' to win the Champions League
Throughout the season, Arsenal have received criticism from both rivals and pundits about the unattractive and defensive style of play that they use in matches.
In the Champions League final itself, the Gunners' average possession (24.7%) was the lowest by a team in a UEFA Champions League final on record (since 2003-04), with Kai Havertz's goal in the 1-1 draw Arsenal's only shot on target.
Of course, Arsenal fans won't be bothered by this opinion, given the fact that this style of play led to them winning their fourth Premier League title this season.
But, speaking after the Champions League final, Arsenal boss Arteta himself admitted that a different approach may be needed if he is to take the side to glory in Europe next season.
"First of all I will take a few days with my family and then we will start the process to review what we’ve done," Arteta said at his post-match press conference.
"We will start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level. And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.
"I want to congratulate PSG, Luis Enrique in particular, because they are, in my opinion, the best team in the world.
"What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it, and it’s not the plan to play in certain areas when you don’t have the ball, but they force you to do that. So, even more credit to the players."
Topics: Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal, Football, PSG
Ben McCrum