Arsenal Head Coach Renée Slegers Excited for Inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup Final at Emirates Stadium
The Gunners are set to face Brazilian team Corinthians in the final this Sunday evening in North London.
During a pre-match press conference, Arsenal manager Slegers expressed her enthusiasm for the unique opportunity to host a cup final at home.
“It’s very special, especially in this competition where we’re up against champions from other continents,” Slegers noted. “We earned our place in the final, and I believe the team showcased their quality in the semi-finals. We’re thrilled about this moment and are looking forward to it.”
Arsenal delivered an impressive 6-0 victory over Moroccan club AS FAR in the semi-finals earlier this week. While they may not know much about Corinthians, Slegers feels confident in her team’s ability to handle this new challenge.
“The players have shown they can adapt to unfamiliar situations. They handled the previous challenge well, and we’ll stay focused,” she said. “Several players bring experience from national team games against Brazil and other South American squads. They’re sharing insights within the team.”
“We’re preparing tactically, analyzing who they are and what they can do. They had a great performance against Gotham, displaying solid defensive discipline and offensive capabilities. We’re planning for every scenario, while also concentrating on our own game,” Slegers added.
Looking ahead to the match against Corinthians, Slegers acknowledged the Brazilian side’s strengths.
“Their physicality, combination play, dribbling, and speed make them formidable. They are cohesive and disciplined defensively, which is a significant advantage for them. Our goal is to showcase the Arsenal way of playing and measure it against the South American style of Corinthians. We can’t wait for the match,” she concluded.
Kick-off for Arsenal’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final against Corinthians is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sunday.