Former Arsenal attacker, Alexander Hleb says he lost touch with the world after the Gunners lost the UEFA Champions League final to Barcelona.
In May 2006, Arsenal lost 2-1 to FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final after playing a major of the game with 10 men.
Jens Lehmann was sent off just 18 minutes into the contest for the Gunners and despite Sol Campbell giving them a first-half lead, goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti in the last 15 minutes gave Barça the title.
In an interview on the “In Lockdown” podcast, Alexander Hleb tells how it feels like to be on the losing side in such an important clash.
“I knew I was in the team one day before the game,” he said. “We had a good team and everybody wanted to play, of course. It was special. Everybody was nervous, it’s normal. We were nervous, but with something [extra], you know?
“It was still 0-0 [after the red card] and we wanted to fight and give our best. We didn’t think about the situation. We understood that everybody would have to do a little more because we had one player less. After we scored, Sol Campbell with that fantastic goal, there was so much power at that moment. We needed to fight to the end to try and win.
“You feel nothing [after the final whistle], you want to forget it all. So many friends called me and wanted to support me and offer something good to say, but I didn’t want to hear it. I think that feeling lasted for three or four days.”
