BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� just isn鈥檛 enough.
That was the message Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta and his players conveyed on Friday as they set out their determination to in the club鈥檚 140-year history by also becoming European champions for the first time.
鈥淲hen you get the taste of winning and lifting a trophy, you know how nice it feels,鈥� Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard said, a day before playing Paris Saint-Germain in the .
鈥淎nd we want to do it again.鈥�
A suggestion by a reporter that Saturday鈥檚 title match at Puskas Arena might be a 鈥渇ree hit鈥� for Arsenal was immediately shot down by Arteta.
His players, Arteta insisted, now 鈥渨ant more.鈥�
鈥淭he ambition is bigger,鈥� the Spanish coach said. 鈥淲e have one, and we want the second one, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檝e been talking about.
鈥淭here has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations, and I鈥檓 going for more. The team is capable of it.鈥�
Arsenal ended its for a Premier League title by outlasting Manchester City this season, setting off an explosion of joy in north London and beyond.
Tens of thousands of fans filled the streets to celebrate. Congratulations filtered down from the . New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen wearing Arsenal-branded clothing when he joined residents across the city for Eid al-Adha prayers this week.
This is widely regarded as Arsenal鈥檚 moment in the English game, with Manchester City potentially vulnerable following and other rivals in English soccer 鈥� like Liverpool and Chelsea 鈥� going through difficulties or a transitional period.
Yet the Gunners have also risen to the summit of European soccer, topping the league phase of the Champions League with eight straight wins and without being beaten along the way.
All those near misses are in the past. Arteta said he was even encouraged watching back replays of Arsenal鈥檚 semifinal exit at the hands of PSG last season, saying he felt his team deserved more.
鈥淭his was a long way away, trying to win the Premier League and the Champions League,鈥� said Bukayo Saka, the England winger who has come through Arsenal鈥檚 academy and is the sole survivor from the FA Cup-winning team from 2020 鈥� the only previous time the team won a trophy under Arteta.
鈥淚t feels like this last week it has all become a reality,” Saka added. “I鈥檓 excited about the opportunity to win another trophy and create history for the club that I love.鈥�
PSG 鈥榓lready in the history books鈥�
PSG is also trying to create some history by becoming just the second team 鈥� after Real Madrid from 2016-18 鈥� to successfully defend the title since the competition was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said his team had 鈥渁lready gone down in the history books as one of the best in the world鈥� and disagreed with the sentiment that this final meant more to Arsenal, which is going for a first Champions League title.
鈥淵es, that鈥檚 powerful,鈥� Luis Enrique said. 鈥淏ut do you know how powerful it is winning a second Champions League in a row? It鈥檚 bigger.鈥�
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