The locus of European football shifts to Budapest this evening, where Arsenal and Paris Saint Germain collide in a Champions League final that feels f...
The locus of European football shifts to Budapest this evening, where Arsenal and Paris Saint Germain collide in a Champions League final that feels freighted with subtext. On one side you have the relentless modernity of the Parisian project; on the other, the quiet revivalism of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. Both have reached this summit via very different routes, but both know that the margin between glory and heartbreak is thinner than a goalkeeper's glove.We have, of course, been saturated with pre match analysis. Every pundit has dissected the low blocks and the transitional play. But let us not forget the human element. Arsenal fans have been racing to Budapest all week, a diaspora of hope. They are the real weather. Their energy will either lift a team or suffocate it. And in a stadium where the noise is foreign to both sides, that advantage is negotiable.Meanwhile, on the other side of the ledger, we have the looming shadow of the World Cup. Yes, it is now less than a fortnight until we abandon everything and tune in to Mexico versus South Africa as if the fate of the globe depends on it. I was killing time recently on a long haul flight watching a preview programme. And who should pop up but Gianni Infantino, wearing a big white coat like he had just stepped off the set of an East 17 video. It was surreal. The man is trying to appeal to Canadians now. Bizarre. But that is the circus that awaits. Tonight, however, is about serious business.This is squeaky bum time. For Arsenal, it is about proving that tactical flexibility can overcome the star power of the PSG frontline. For PSG, it is about not bottling it when the lights are at their brightest. The ball is round. The pitch is green. And Budapest is ready. Let us see who blinks first.
