Arsenal fan and former road racing World Champion Remco Evenepoel has said he expects a close game in tonight’s Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Belgian is currently on a training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain, preparing for the Tour de France. It's from there that he’ll be watching the final which kicks-off at 17.00 (BST) in Budapest.
Speaking to Belgian publication DH les Sports from the altitude camp Evenepoel said: “A final is special. I've played in one myself. I think it's always a 50-50 game, even though [Paris Saint-Germain] PSG can clearly use last year's victory as experience. But hey, I'm a Gunner, so I'm saying Arsenal will win. Even 1-0 is enough.”
Evenepoel is a talented footballer himself and captain the Belgian under-16 team before concentrating his athletic pursuits on cycling.
He has been a fan of the club from a young age citing former Gunner Thierry Henry as inspiring his love of the London side. “I still have his jersey. The burgundy and mauve one, with the number 14 in gold,” he said.
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As a junior he played for RSC Anderlecht's junior squad and was considered one of its strongest prospects. He even had a brush with playing for Arsenal.
The Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rider told DH Sports: “It goes back to my year at PSV Eindhoven. I was named best player at an international U13 tournament. Several Premier League teams invited me for trials. Chelsea, Manchester United, Fulham, and Arsenal were among them. But nothing ever really came of it.
“Of course, it was tempting, but it was still incredibly early. I wasn't really ready to take such a big step at that age.”
Asked why he felt this season’s iteration of the team has been so successful, winning the Premier League and now having a shot at the Champions League title, he said: “First, their defence is very impressive. It's a really well-structured unit.
“Then, Declan Rice and Martin Ödegaard are true leaders in midfield. Arteta's greatest achievement is having managed to build a very compact team, with rocks at the back like [William] Saliba and Gabriel [Magalhães], not forgetting [David] Raya, a truly excellent goalkeeper.
“Finally, when [Bukayo] Saka plays at the level he's been this year, Arsenal can rely on one of the best strikers in the world.”
But the team have been accused of being boring, with a reliance on scoring goals from set pieces and a tendency to slow the pace of the game.
Evenepoel, unsurprisingly, is a defender of his team’s tactics. “Winning is ultimately the most important thing,” he said. “So, the style really becomes secondary. I remember the Gunners with [midfielder Mesut] Özil, [forward Alexis] Sanchez… Everyone praised their style of play, but in the end, they won nothing.”
