Thierry Henry, an Arsenal legend and ardent supporter of the club, couldn't resist expressing his admiration for Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi following PSG's victory over Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. Henry launched into a monologue filled with praise while speaking to Al-Khelaifi. The French club had just secured their place in the Champions League final with a 3-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal on Wednesday night. This prompted Henry to compliment Al-Khelaifi, who has been instrumental in PSG's rise to prominence.
Arsenal arrived in Paris needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg held in London. However, they were met by an inspired performance from Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG’s goalkeeper. He made stunning saves denying Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka any chance of scoring.
Fabian Ruiz extended PSG’s lead when he scored from the edge of the box. Despite David Raya saving Vitinha’s penalty attempt, Achraf Hakimi furthered their lead making it 3-0 on aggregate with a low finish during the second half. Saka managed to score for Arsenal but it wasn’t enough for an unlikely comeback as PSG advanced through to face Inter Milan in the final slated for May 31st.
Man behind PSG's success
Al-Khelaifi has been at the helm of PSG since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 and significantly invested into transforming it into one of Europe's top clubs. His leadership was recognized by former Arsenal striker Henry during his appearance on CBS Sports on Wednesday night where he showered him with praise.
Thierry Henry, Arsenal legend, said:
"I don’t have a question, I actually want to give you your respect. Being French, I know the pressure that you came under, and you know this town is not a nice one when things aren't going well, and I have to say that you always conducted yourself really well, you listened to what was missing. We talked about it, and that the team at the time had to go young. When you went to get Luis Enrique, I said to you, 'You got a proper coach, he doesn't mess around, you will see,' but I wanted to say, thank you, because you changed the way people see Paris Saint-Germain.
“When I was growing up, it wasn't the case, you changed everything, the community, people can go and watch the games, which wasn't always the case, so hopefully you can make the next step and bring another star. I know it's my team you knocked out, but I want Paris Saint-Germain to win it because it will seal what you've done and the way you've done it, and you put Paris back on the map, so well done and thank you.”
PSG will now face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on May 31 in Munich. This comes after they successfully eliminated a third consecutive English team during the knockout stages. Luis Enrique’s side previously dispatched Liverpool and Aston Villa over two legs before completing their hat-trick by adding Arsenal to their list of conquests.
