Opinion: Arsenal’s 30-year wait for European glory must end

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·2 septembre 2025

Opinion: Arsenal’s 30-year wait for European glory must end

To see Arsenal win the Premier League would be amazing, but to see them win the Champions League would be priceless. The question is whether Mikel Arteta’s side will seal themselves an early legacy as the “nearly men” or, hopefully at some point, the “Champions” of Europe – just like Arsenal Women did last season, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the second time in their history.

The past couple of seasons us Gooners have been lucky enough to dream about heralding the Champions League, following Arsenal reaching the semi-finals and bowing out to PSG across both legs 3-1. The North Londoners need to make the most of their prime form and golden opportunity in Europe, and also the Premier League, but that is a story for another time.

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Arsenal’s painful record in Europe

The last time Gooners could sing and dance about Champions League glory was… never. Arsenal have never won the Champions League in their approaching 22 seasons of playing in the competition. That is not to say European silverware has never visited Islington, but not in recent years at least.

The men in red and white have lost their last four European finals across the past 30 seasons. In 1995, Stewart Houston, who had taken over from George Graham, failed to stop Spanish side Zaragoza infamously beating his side 2-1 in Paris.

In 2000, with Arsène Wenger in charge, Arsenal lost as favourites to Turkish outfit Galatasaray on penalties after a 120-minute stalemate in the UEFA Cup final. Six years later Wenger reignited a European spark amongst the Arsenal faithful when the North Londoners at last reached the Champions League final.

Before the half-time break, Gooners found themselves in dreamland after Sol Campbell put Arsenal into the lead, but in the final stages of the game Barcelona escaped the jaws of defeat to steal the show, with Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti finding the back of the net in a 2-1 victory.

That heartbreaking day has haunted Arsenal in Europe ever since. To add insult to injury, Wenger’s side were demolished 4-1 by Chelsea in Baku in the 2019 Europa League final.

Sol Campbell (getty images)

Time to put history to rest

So when did Arsenal last win in Europe? It was in 1994 when Alan Smith fired the club to glory in the Cup Winners’ Cup final versus Italian side Parma.

It has been far too long since Arsenal lifted a European trophy, and Arteta’s men need to put a stop to that wait soon. Only then can the ghosts of the past finally be laid to rest.

Arsenal’s Champions League fixtures and dates confirmed.

Arsenal kick-off their 2025/26 Champions League campaign on Tuesday 16th September against Athletic Club, at Estadio de San Mamés.

Can we go all the way this season?

Liam Harding

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