Can Hector Bellerin have the last laugh by winning his first European trophy?

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Just Arsenal News

·27 May 2025

Can Hector Bellerin have the last laugh by winning his first European trophy?

There’s a certain irony that Hector Bellerin could lift his first European trophy this week, against Chelsea. The same Chelsea he helped Arsenal beat twice in FA Cup finals during his decade in North London.

But there’s a cruel twist too. The 30-year-old is a doubt for Wednesday’s UEFA Europa Conference League Final with a knee injury. For a player whose career has been defined by both loyalty and misfortune, perhaps that sums it all up.

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Bellerin gave Arsenal everything, but got little back

Signed from Barcelona at just 16, Bellerin grew from a teenager into a first-team regular at Arsenal. He made 239 appearances, played in the Champions League, and lifted three trophies. For many clubs, that would earn a player legend status.

Yet in Bellerin’s case, he became a lightning rod for fan frustration. While others were criticised for performances, Bellerin was mocked for being vegan, for modelling, for speaking up about climate change. His pledge to plant trees after victories was twisted into something to mock when the team lost.

To his credit, he was one of the first players at Arsenal to call out the abuse coming from platforms like AFTV, warning of the mental toll it could take on teammates.

And what did he really do wrong? Serious injuries robbed him of his pace, and in a club struggling for direction, he became the wrong player at the wrong time.

Arsenal let him go, but he never gave up

After a loan to Real Betis, where he won the Copa del Rey, Bellerin returned to find his future decided. Despite proving his fitness, he was effectively discarded by Mikel Arteta’s project. His contract was ripped up without a fee, with no attempt to rebuild his value.

From a business perspective, Arsenal gave rivals a blueprint: wait long enough, and they’ll loan or release anyone. From a human perspective, it hurt.

Bellerin joined Barcelona on a short-term deal and then moved to Sporting Lisbon. Between both clubs, he managed just 20 appearances. His body was suffering: ACL rupture, concussions, back issues, cracked ribs. Retirement could have been an easy out.

Instead, he went home, to Real Betis, where his father still lives. The club he supported as a boy gave him purpose again. And now, he’s on the brink of history, possibly lifting the club’s first ever European trophy.

(Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Once a Gunner, always a Gunner

It takes serious mental strength to keep going when your boyhood club pays you to leave. But Bellerin never lashed out. He still speaks with affection about Arsenal. He will never say it, but we’ve not lifted a trophy since he burst down the wing at Wembley to start the move for our last FA Cup winner.

In that time, he could win a second trophy.

Many Gooners will be rooting for him on Wednesday. As for the minority who mocked him for caring about things beyond football, they deserve to watch him have the last laugh.

Good luck, Hector. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner!

Dan Smith _____________________________________________________________________________________________

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