’Sneijder says Arsenal vs Atlético Champions League match “terribly boring”
Football superstar Wesley Sneijder is not one to hold back, and the former midfielder did not mince words when assessing the Champions League semifinal second leg between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid.
His verdict was scathing from the outset, dismissing the contest as unworthy of the stage it occupied. “I wanted to call UEFA after 35 minutes to cancel the game, tell the players to leave the field, and announce Bayern Munich vs PSG as the Champions League final. Honestly, this game is terribly boring,” he said to Ziggo Sport.
The former Real Madrid player broke down the match in equally blunt terms, arguing that it failed to meet even the minimum expectations of a European semifinal. According to him, the encounter lacked the essential ingredients that define elite competition at this level.
“Watching Arsenal against Atlético Madrid didn’t feel like a Champions League semifinal. It lacked intensity, creativity, and real quality in the final third. In the final, I find it very hard to imagine them troubling a team like PSG or Bayern Munich. Based on what we saw tonight, it would be an easy win for either of them. At this level, you expect drama and top-class soccer, but this was far from that.”
Sneijder also turned his attention to the officiating, suggesting that Arsenal benefited from key decisions. He pointed to specific incidents that, in his view, should have resulted in penalties. “Arsenal should be very grateful to the referee tonight. There was clear contact with Simeone.
Just because he didn’t go down doesn’t mean it wasn’t a foul. There was also another penalty on Griezmann that wasn’t given. For me, they were clear penalties.”
