It is 20 years since Sol Campbell headed Arsenal in front in the Champions League final.
“It was like a fairytale,” Campbell tells The Athletic. “I’d been through so much, so many ups and downs. To come to the Champions League final, and score? It was beautiful.”
It was the 37th minute when Campbell headed home a Thierry Henry free kick to put 10-man Arsenal ahead of Barcelona. A stout defensive effort brought Arsenal within touching distance of the trophy, but two Barcelona goals in the last 15 minutes whisked glory away.
“We had the chances to kill them off, and we just couldn’t convert. They were there for the taking.”
Two decades on, Arsenal have another chance at Champions League glory. The newly crowned Premier League champions will face Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest today, and Campbell will be there.
In 2006, Campbell knew his opportunity had gone. His contract was due to expire that summer — he had already determined that the final would be his last Arsenal game. The pain of defeat was brutal.
“It’s just f****** s***, isn’t it? But I knew that was going to be the last time I was going to be there — playing in the Champions League, playing in a final, being at that level. I knew then that was my last chance.”
