17th May 2006. FC Barcelona were taking on Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final. While this was the Spanish club’s 5th final, Arsenal had reached the grandest stage in club football for the first time. Barcelona eventually ended up 2-1 winners winning their second Champions League title starting an era of dominance. There were some absolute legends on display that night and we decided to find out what those 22 players are up to now.
Barcelona XI:
Victor Valdes- Valdes went on to achieve great things with FC Barcelona winning 2 more UCL titles in 2009 and 2011. He also won 6 League titles with Barca and 2 Copa Del Reys. One of the most decorated goalkeepers in history, Valdes’ career hit a roadblock last season when he fell out with Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal. Unable to displace United number 1 De Gea and after being isolated, he was recently signed by newly promoted Middlesbrough.
Oleguer Presas- Not everyone’s career lifted off after 2006. Presas courted controversy when he was accused of assaulting a policeman. Eventually, after surgery kept him out of the side, he moved to Ajax in 2008. After being released by Ajax in 2011, he turned to political writing. He is a supporter of Catalonian rights.
Rafael Marquez- Marquez had a highly successful career at Barcelona forming effective partnerships with Milito and then Puyol even after the departure of Rijkaard. A stalwart of Mexican football, he’s currently plying his trade at Atlas in Mexico, the club he made his debut with.
Carles Puyol- Carles Puyol is one of the greatest central defenders and one team men to ever play the game. He’s also one of the most successful captains having an illustrious career for club and country which involved winning a historic treble along with the World Cup and UEFA Euro. After retiring in 2014, he was appointed as the assistant of Andoni Zubizarreta, the director of football at Barcelona. He resigned last year but still maintains close ties with the club.
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst- After playing in every single UCL match that season, he left at the end of the 2006-07 season joining Feyenoord. He’s currently the manager of the Dutch club.
Edmilson- Another one of those players who failed to make a major mark. He left Barcelona after a disappointing season and ended his career at Ceara, a club back in his native country of Brazil.
Deco- Deco is one of the most famous players to play the game from Portugal. He had a disappointing spell at Chelsea after leaving Barcelona before ending his career in Brazil in 2013. Most recently he was a pundit for the SONY network during EURO 2016. He’s also an ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Mark Van Bommel- He left Barcelona after winning the UCL for Bayern Munich where he was appointed as the first non-German captain. He retired in 2013 after a stint at PSV Eindhoven. He’s been working on earning his coaching badges and he is the assistant of the Saudi Arabian National Team as he told fifa.com.
Ludovic Giuly- It is safe to say that winning the UCL has been the biggest moment of Guily’s career. Still playing at the age of 40, he finds himself at fourth tier Monts d’Or Azergues in France.
Ronaldinho- Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. After a highly successful career with Barcelona, he had a stint with Milan before moving back to Brazil where he last appeared in 2015 for Fluminense. He most recently represented Team Goa in the Premer Futsal tournament in India.
Samuel Eto’o- The Cameroonian has the distinct honour of winning the treble with two different clubs in two consecutive seasons with Barcelona and Inter Milan. He had stints in Russia, Italy and England. He’s currently playing in Turkey for Antalyaspor where he was even made interim manager till Jose Morais took over in January this year.
Arsenal XI:
Jens Lehmann- Lehmann was sent off in the 2006 Final and eventually left Arsenal in 2008. Apart from being the ambassador of Power-Child Campus South Africa, he’s also been working on earning his coaching badges.
Emmanuel Eboue- Eboue had left Arsenal for Galatasaray in 2011, but a move to Sunderland saw him return to the Premier League. However, he was banned from all football-related activity in March this year for failing to pay an agent.
Kolo Toure- Toure was one of the many Arsenal players to make the move from the Emirates to the Etihad. After spending time with Manchester City and Liverpool, Toure recently sealed a move to Scottish Champions Celtic.
Sol Campbell- After leaving Arsenal, Campbell only really found some joy at Portsmouth. He turned to politics intending to run for Mayor of London, however, he was chosen as the candidate.
Ashley Cole- Cole is one of the best fullbacks to play in the Premier League enjoying a lot of success with Chelsea after leaving Arsenal. Currently, he plays for LA Galaxy in the MLS alongside Steven Gerrard.
Robert Pires- An Arsenal legend, the UCL Final was his last game for the club. He most recently played for FC Goa in the Indian Super League. He was released by the Indian franchise and announced his retirement earlier this year.
Gilberto Silva- Gilberto left Arsenal two years later and eventually retired in 2015 after two years without a club. He’s been serving as the technical director of Panathinaikos since May this year.
Cesc Fabregas- The highly rated youngster went on to captain Arsenal before returning to hometown club Barcelona. He currently plays for Chelsea where he won the League in his first season.
Alexander Hleb- Hleb joined 2006 UCL Final opponents Barcelona after leaving Arsenal. He’s had a string of clubs since then without any real success. Currently, he plays for Belarusian club Bate Borisov.
Freddie Ljungberg- He left Arsenal in 2007 and most recently found himself playing for Mumbai in the ISL. He’s currently the coach of Arsenal U-16s.
Thierry Henry- An absolute legend and one of the greatest to ever represent Arsenal. He ended his career with New York Red Bulls in the MLS. He currently appears as a pundit on Sky Sports.
Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in what could prove decisive for the Gunners’ Premier League title ambitions. Arsenal sit top of the table with 61 points from 28 matches, five points clear of Manchester City, who still have a game in hand, while Chelsea occupy 7th with 45 points after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Burnley at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
This represents a huge opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack before facing Brighton away on Wednesday. Chelsea arrive at the Emirates in patchy form under Liam Rosenior, who has won just two of his eight league matches since replacing Enzo Maresca in January despite an encouraging start to his tenure.
Kick-off: 4:30 GMT, Sunday, March 1, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium
TV: Sky Sports
Kai Havertz Returns to Haunt Former Club
Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday that Kai Havertz will train on Saturday ahead of the Chelsea clash, giving the German a chance to feature against his former employers. Havertz has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since early February, but scored the winner in Arsenal’s 1-0 Carabao Cup semi final victory over Chelsea earlier this month.
The 26 year old has endured a nightmare campaign with injuries limiting him to just 158 Premier League minutes this season, though he has still managed two goals and two assists when available. Viktor Gyokeres has flourished in Havertz’s absence, scoring twice in the 4-1 North London Derby demolition of Tottenham last weekend.
Rosenior Yet to Face Top Six Opposition
Liam Rosenior faces his first test against a top six side in the league since taking charge of Chelsea, having only faced teams sitting 7th or lower during his opening eight matches. His winning run needs proper context, given the quality of opposition, with recent dropped points against Leeds and Burnley at Stamford Bridge exposing serious vulnerabilities.
Arteta has beaten Rosenior twice already this season in the two legged Carabao Cup semi final, and the Spanish manager will fancy his chances of completing a treble over the Chelsea boss. Bukayo Saka should be fit despite limping off late against Spurs, while Ben White remains doubtful with a niggle.
Predicted Lineups: Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Also read: Kai Havertz Injury Update: Real Timeline and Medical Details Revealed!
Arsenal Dragon
Update Given Following Arsenal Injury Scare as Olivia Smith Discharged From Hospital After Being Stretchered Off During FA Cup Win Over Bristol City
Arsenal star Olivia Smith has been discharged from hospital after being stretchered off the field during their Women’s FA Cup game against Bristol City. The forward, who joined the Gunners in the summer, played just under an hour before being forced off with pictures showing a neck brace around the 21 year old at Meadow Park.
This was a worrying moment for Arsenal supporters watching on Sunday afternoon. The Canadian international went down, receiving lengthy treatment before being taken off on a stretcher as a precaution. Thankfully, the injury appears to be far less serious than initially feared.
Left Hospital Yesterday Evening
According to Arsenal reporter Tim Stillman, Olivia Smith left the hospital yesterday evening after tests were run and will return to be assessed this week ahead of the March international break. This is brilliant news for Arsenal, who cannot afford to lose Smith for any length of time, given her importance to the team.
It is believed that her involvement with Canada is still up in the air, with the Canucks facing a triple header of friendlies against Colombia, Argentina, and the United States over the coming two weeks. Arsenal’s next match sees them face London City Lionesses in mid March.
Big Boost for Champions League Hopes
With no video available for Arsenal’s cup game against Bristol City, there was huge concern surrounding Smith’s condition for those unable to attend the game at Meadow Park. Thankfully, what seemed initially to be a severe injury has turned out to be a fairly minor incident.
While Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo are both more than capable options to lead the line, it has been Smith who has been Renee Slegers’ favoured choice and proven to be a brilliant signing since her arrival from Liverpool. Having Smith likely available for both legs of the Chelsea Champions League quarter final is a massive boost for Arsenal’s hopes of retaining their European crown.
Arsenal
Arsenal Star Named WSL Player of the Month for January as Midfielder Continues Outstanding Form Following 400th Appearance Milestone
Kim Little has been named January’s Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month, recognition that follows her 400th appearance for Arsenal. The captain has made an outstanding start to 2026, completing every minute in the WSL and helping secure two clean sheets and four points from fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Little drove the midfield against United in the 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium and was again pivotal in the disciplined defensive display at Stamford Bridge that delivered that historic 2-0 win over the Blues. This is absolutely deserved recognition for one of Arsenal’s most influential players, who continues to perform at the highest level despite being 35 years old.
400th Appearance Came in Belgium
Little’s landmark 400th appearance came in Belgium as Arsenal won 4-0 at OH Leuven to close in on a Champions League London derby with Chelsea. The Scottish playmaker came on as a second half substitute in the 82nd minute, replacing Olivia Smith, to reach 400 appearances.
This achievement is even more notable given the time she spent playing in the USA and Australia during her career. Little has become one of the defining figures of the modern Arsenal era, establishing herself as an absolute legend at the club.
Chelsea Awaits in Champions League Quarterfinals
Provided nothing dramatic unfolds at Meadow Park next week, Chelsea awaits in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Arsenal hold a commanding 4-0 advantage from the first leg and are overwhelming favorites to progress to a mouth watering London derby in the last eight.
Little will be central to Arsenal’s hopes of defending their Champions League crown, with the midfielder’s experience and leadership qualities proving invaluable during the knockout stages of major competitions. Her consistent performances continue to set the standard for everyone around her.
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