Andrea Pirlo Defends Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal Ahead of Champions League Final Against PSG

Andrea Pirlo, the former Italy, Juventus, and AC Milan midfielder and World Cup winner, has publicly defended Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, rejecting the narrative that the Premier League champions play an overly mechanical or one-dimensional brand of football.

Arteta’s system has attracted persistent criticism from some observers, who characterise it as “laboratory” football — a term pointing to its heavy reliance on structured dead-ball routines, set-pieces, and crosses. The debate has intensified ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, the biggest game in the club’s recent history.

Speaking as quoted by Marca, Pirlo was unequivocal in his assessment. “Yes, I like it because it’s not just about corners and crosses into the box,” he said. “For some years now, he’s developed his own special way of playing, including this particular way of taking advantage of corners. He studies everything thoroughly and is very talented.”

Pirlo also highlighted the collective and defensive foundations that have underpinned Arsenal’s rise. “Winning the Premier League and reaching this final is a great achievement,” he added, crediting Arteta for engineering a sustained transformation at the North London club. Arsenal’s Premier League title — their first in 22 years — and their progression to a first-ever Champions League final underline the scale of what has been accomplished under the Spaniard.

While acknowledging the individual quality within the PSG squad, Pirlo drew a clear distinction between the two finalists’ approaches. “It’s very collective football, although PSG does have players who, individually, can decide matches more decisively,” he explained. “Arsenal needs to be very solid collectively and then capitalise on any set-piece situation. Furthermore, their two centre-backs are very strong, and that gives the team a lot of solidity.”

The assessment from Pirlo — widely regarded as one of the most technically refined midfielders of his generation — carries weight in tactical circles. His own playing career, which included Serie A titles with Juventus and AC Milan, a Champions League medal, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy, positions him as a credible voice on the finer points of team organisation and game management.

For Arteta, the Budapest final represents the apex of a managerial journey that began when he took charge at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019. Since then, he has overseen an FA Cup win, back-to-back near misses in the Premier League, and ultimately a title triumph before steering the club into continental football’s showpiece occasion.

PSG, managed by Luis Enrique, arrive at the final with a squad widely considered to possess greater individual match-winning capability. However, Pirlo’s remarks suggest that Arsenal’s collective cohesion and set-piece threat could prove decisive factors over the course of 90 minutes — or beyond, should the final go to extra time or penalties.

The Champions League final in Budapest is set to be the defining moment of Arteta’s tenure, with Arsenal seeking to complete one of English football’s most remarkable modern-era turnarounds.