Vincent Kompany is sympathetic to Mikel Arteta’s ‘different worlds’ comment on the quality produced by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, due to the intense schedule in England.
The Arsenal manager said the first leg of PSG vs Bayern in the Champions League semi-finals is ‘probably the best game’ he has ever seen.
The defending champions won the game 5-4, with the second leg to come in Munich on Wednesday night.
It was a thrilling spectacle, not just because of the goals, but because of the incredible quality on show from both teams.
Arsenal have now booked their place in the final to face either PSG or Bayern, with Arteta saying he is not surprised by the standard the teams produced, given the relatively light pressure on their players domestically compared to in England.
‘Bayern v PSG is probably the best game I have ever witnessed on the quality of two teams, and especially the individual quality that the players deliver,’ Arteta said last week.
‘I’ve never seen something like this. But when I look at the amount of minutes and the freshness of those players, then I’m not surprised. To deliver those moments of quality, you have to be very fresh and the difference in the leagues and the way they compete is night and day, and you just have to see a lot of stats that have been recently around it.
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‘We are competing in two different worlds, so you cannot compare one part of that without giving any context to that. I don’t think it’s fair.’
Bayern boss Kompany had no intention of causing a row, understanding where Arteta was coming from with his point.
The Belgian spent 11 years at Manchester City and knows very well the demands placed on the players in England and the unsympathetic nature of pundits and fans.
‘I don’t want to comment too much, but obviously having been in the Premier League for many years, if I read between the lines, it’s basically a calendar discussion,’ Kompany said.
‘I don’t think it’s a criticism on PSG or Bayern Munich or anything like this. It’s that fact that you have 38 games to play, plus the League Cup, plus the FA Cup, you don’t really have a winter break.
‘Then every time someone has a bad game, you go, “well how come they have a bad game?” I think that’s the conversation these guys are having.
‘It’s not for me to jump in, but it’s legitimate. Obviously Jurgen Klopp, being German, how many times has he spoken about this? At that time I was in the league so I understand it. But it’s not my problem to solve at the moment.’
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Arsenal secured their spot in the Budapest final with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday night, completing a 2-1 aggregate victory.
‘An incredible night,’ said Arteta. ‘We made history again together and I cannot be more proud for everyone. The way that we were welcomed outside the stadium was special and unique. The atmosphere, our support has created the energy, the way they managed every ball with us, they made it special and unique, I never felt that in the stadium.
‘We knew how much it meant to everybody. The boys did an incredible job and after 20 years and a second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.’