Arsenal player makes Champions League Team of the Season | OneFootball

Declan Rice has been named in the Champions League Team of the Season for 2024/25, after Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals of the competition.

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The official UEFA Champions League social media pages have announced their 2024/25 Champions League Team of the Season, as selected by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group.

The team is primarily composed of Paris Saint-Germain players, following their 5-0 win in the final of the competition against Inter Milan last week. But a few players from other clubs have been selected, including Arsenal’s Declan Rice.

The other three non-PSG players are Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, who made the final, and Barcelona’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who were eliminated in the semi-final.

UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for 2024/25

Rice made 13 appearances for Arsenal in this season’s Champions League, only missing a League Phase game against Inter Milan through injury.

The midfielder was used as a substitute for the final League Phase game against Girona, but he started the other 12 matches, scoring four goals and assisting two more.

The 26-year-old’s most notable moment was the 12-minute spell in which he scored two free-kicks against Real Madrid, and those goals only underlined a couple of outstanding displays in that quarter-final tie.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

It was ultimately a shame that Rice was unable to play the same role for the home leg of the semi-finals against eventual champions PSG, with Thomas Partey’s suspension forcing Mikel Arteta to adapt and drop the England international deeper.

Arsenal ended up falling short 3-1 on aggregate, but if they hope for another long run in the Champions League next season, Rice will surely play a major role again.