Arsenal has qualified for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.
The Gunners failed to score in the opening leg of their Champions League Round of 16 match against Porto, allowing the Portuguese team to win 1-0.
Last night, the football team from London defeated FC Porto 1-0 in the second leg of the Round of 16 competition. They then won 4-2 on penalties to guarantee their place in the quarterfinals.
Following Arsenal’s thrilling round of 16 victory over Porto, Mikel Arteta, the team’s manager has emphasized the significance of the team making it to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
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Speaking to the press after the win, he said, “magic, what we expected, a really tough opponent, really well organised, very difficult to generate constant momentum in the game in the way they play and that’s credit to them.”
“For them to do it when the club hasn’t managed to do it for 14 years, I tell you it will be a boost. The margins are so small. You find a way to do it again. I see how much they want it, how much they try and they are able to sacrifice anything to win. When you play like this at the end good things are going to come your way.
“It’s another big step, especially as a club. For seven years we haven’t been in this competition and for 14 years we haven’t got this far. That tells you the difficulty of it. We want more and we’re going to go for it that’s for sure.
“Having experience, I haven’t done it before as you said. It’s the first time I’ve done anything in the Champions League, and to try to learn every single day, you get advice. That’s why you have great coaches around you, great people as well to help you and make you better,” he added.