As Arsenal prepare for their historic Champions League final showdown against the unstoppable Paris Saint-Germain, Sam Allardyce has delivered a blunt assessment of their European pedigree by using Celtic as an example.
The former England manager suggested that domestic success is simply no longer enough to secure true elite status in modern football – Arsenal are champions of England for the first time since 2004.
To be considered genuine royalty, a club must conquer Europe, and the champions of Scotland know all about that.
Allardyce pointed to historic winners, name-checking the mighty Celtic, and their triumph with the famous Lisbon Lions in 1967.
“You look at winning the Champions League,” said Allardyce.
“You look at Villa, Manchester City, Manchester United, even Celtic, up in Scotland. Arsenal haven’t got that tag.”
Be honest, what are your early predictions for Celtic’s 2026/27 Champions League fortunes?
Sam Allardyce name-drops Celtic ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League final in Budapest
The inclusion of the Hoops highlights a painful truth for the Gunners.
While Celtic immortalised themselves with the legendary Lisbon Lions triumph against Inter, Arsenal, despite their immense size in English football, financial power, and domestic trophies, have consistently fallen short on the continent’s biggest stage.
They remain without that elusive, defining Champions League crown, and Allardyce was sure to bring it up on his No Tippy Tappy Podcast.
“You look at winning the Champions League,” said Allardyce.
“You look at Villa, Manchester City, Manchester United, even Celtic, up in Scotland. Arsenal haven’t got that tag.
“With today’s football, you have to get that tag, eventually, that you win the Champions League.
“PSG had been waiting a long time, and they won it last season. It took them a long time.”
Which British teams have won the Champions League?
Before 1992, Europe’s most prestigious trophy was called the European Cup.
That’s where the likes of Celtic, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, with a dazzling winger in Martin O’Neill on the flanks, Manchester United and Liverpool all claimed their first triumphs.
But which British teams and how many, both in the old and modern-day format, have lifted the European Cup?
- Celtic: The first British side to win the European Cup, 1966-67
- Manchester United: 1967-68, 1998-99, 2007-08
- Liverpool: 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1983-84, 2004-05, 2018-19
- Nottingham Forest: 1978-79, 1979-80
- Aston Villa: 1982
- Chelsea: 2011-12, 2020-21
- Manchester City: 2022-23
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