Robert Pires told Arsene Wenger he was leaving Arsenal two days after 2006 UEFA Champions League final substitution - 'I didn't want an explanation'

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Arsenal are looking to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time, 20 years after their only previous final appearance. That defeat against Barcelona had huge ramifications for one club legend.

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This interview was conducted by and translated for use on TNT Sports. Merle's questions are in bold.

"With Arsene, we saw each other two days later, and I asked to leave Arsenal."

It is May 17, 2006. Arsenal are competing in the first UEFA Champions League final in their history, against Barcelona.

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After just 18 minutes of play, German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is sent off and French forward Robert Pires is sacrificed by manager Arsene Wenger.

Two decades later, the Gunners’ former No. 7-turned-pundit goes into detail on that painful episode of his career.

This Saturday, Arsenal will return to the Champions League final for the first time since. You can watch it live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, as well as following along live on the TNT Sports website.

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Eurosport: It has been 20 years since you contested the Champions League final against Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona. In what frame of mind had you approached this match?

Pires: I’m going to give the [typical] footballer's answer, but when you get to a final, for me, there are no favourites.

We'd played Real Madrid, Juventus, and Villarreal. Strangely, the most difficult game had been the semi-final against Villarreal. Against Barcelona there was no favourite. They had a great team, but so did we.

In the 18th minute, your goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off after fouling Samuel Eto’o. Arsene Wenger has to sacrifice one outfield player. At this moment, did you imagine for one second that you would be substituted?

No. Not at all, for a single second. I was so sure of myself: I didn’t think I would be the one substituted. I thought he would sacrifice Cesc Fabregas or Alexander Hleb.

What happens in your head when you see the No. 7 come up on the board?

I think it was Thierry Henry that told me, ‘Robert, you’re the one being substituted’. I don’t believe it.

It was very, very hard. You’re in the Champions League final. It’s so hard to get there. On top of that, you’re in Paris. I had bought seats for all my family. Everyone was there. Everyone wanted to celebrate [me being in the Champions League final].

At that moment, would you have preferred the referee to play on after the foul on Samuel Eto’o, allowing Barcelona to open the scoring, but for you to stay on the pitch?

I would have preferred him to have played advantage, yes. Moreover, it was Ludo (Ludovic Giuly) that scored into an empty net. I think the final would have looked very different.

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We have not much discussed the incident which led to the red card. You lose a duel with Ronaldinho, who then sets up Eto’o. Do you have any regrets about that passage of play?

Yes, I have regrets about not fouling ‘Ronnie’. I should have fouled him, of course. When he picks up momentum and cuts through the lines, you have to foul him. You can not let him go.

You experienced the rest of the final from the bench. Were you able to, especially when leading 1-0 at half-time, reconnect to the game, and the team?

From the moment I sat on the bench, to the moment I was in the dressing room, I was [physically] there, but my mind was elsewhere.

Even at the moment Sol Campbell opened the scoring?

Yes, even during the goal, because my mind had completely disconnected. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but I had taken such a blow that I was struggling to get up from.

Then there’s half-time, the words of Arsene...

At that moment, I regained some composure and told myself that what was most important was to quite simply, win and lift the Champions League.

You mentioned Arsene Wenger's half-time speech. Did you speak to him in that period?

No. I didn’t want an explanation. We saw each other two days later. I asked to have the meeting just to tell him I was leaving Arsenal.

Maybe I was wrong, but I believed I was no longer in his plans. The fact he did that in the final, partially confirmed those beliefs.

If you had not been substituted in that final, would you have stayed at Arsenal the following season?

I was in talks with Villarreal but wanted to stay at Arsenal. The season had been a bit of a rollercoaster for me. When we played away, I was always on the bench.

It was Arsene’s choice, there was no problem. I didn’t argue with it. But when he made that decision in the final, it was at that moment that I told myself it was time to leave.

Did that episode ruin your relationship with Wenger?

No, not at all. It changed nothing. Of course, I was angry with him at the time. For me, he made a mistake.

But today, we see each other, we have lunch together when we’re in Paris or even when we’re in Switzerland for UEFA or FIFA events.

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Thierry Henry left a year after you, in 2007. In the months following that final, did you feel that Arsenal were experiencing the end of an era?

To be honest, no. It was difficult to foresee. But we had already taken a little knock with the departure of Patrick Vieira in 2005. After that, our game was less fluid than it could have been.

Dennis Bergkamp and Sylvain Wiltord also left. Let's just say that I felt at that moment that it was necessary to maybe have a change of scenery and try a new adventure.

I imagine it felt impossible for you to imagine that it would be 20 years before Arsenal returned to a Champions League final.

The Champions League is one thing. But [to wait] so long for another Premier League title? I could not have imagined that. For a club like Arsenal, that’s not normal.

The Gunners put right that anomaly by winning the Premier League title this season, 22 years after the last.

I am very happy with what they’re doing. To see Arsenal so close to winning the double, is what I’ve wanted to see for years. For the last two years, that club has been doing much better.

Could the Premier League title change how they approach the Champions League final on Saturday?

They’ll go to Budapest with a lot more power and a lot more energy. It will galvanise them even more.

They know very well that it’ll be a difficult final. But they’re there, they will be present - they play in Mikel Arteta’s image.

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How would you respond to those that claim Arsenal are boring, that they merely defend well and score from corners?

Sure. They are right, no problem. But I don’t have a single problem with that. Today, corners, dead ball situations, are a weapon that Arsenal have mastered. Why don’t others do the same?

It’s also a team that’s supposedly boring, but at the start of the season, were liked by everyone. Mikel Arteta has changed gears. Last season they played beautiful football; they played well. It was a team that you wanted to watch.

Except, they finished second in the league, and were eliminated in the semi-final of the Champions League. People will always have something to say; journalists, fans. Even former Manchester United players have started to criticise us.

But that’s not important. What I like is that Mikel Arteta has learned a lot.

Let's play a hypothetical game: you're the Arsenal manager and David Raya is sent off after 17 minutes against PSG on Saturday. Who do you substitute?

It’s very difficult… I think Eberechi Eze will start in midfield, so I think I would substitute him, unfortunately.

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