The meeting between Paris Saint Germain and Arsenal will be a date for history. It could be the second in a row for the French and the third that Luis Enrique has won in his career.
Although if the Gunners win it, it would be the first time that the London club has won the Champions League. Thus completing a historic season after having added the Premier League to his record just a week ago.. But in Arsenal there is already a footballer who knows what it means to win the highest continental competition, also twice.
Kepa, three-time Champions League champion
Today the Spanish goalkeeper can add the third Champions League of his career to his record. Although in none of the three was the Athletic Club youth player the protagonist. The first was also with a team from London, but with Chelsea in the 20/21 season.
Kepa arrived two years earlier at the ‘blue’ team. In those seasons He enjoyed great prominence and won his first European title, the Europa League, precisely beating Arsenal in the final. in 18/19. But everything changed in the summer of 2020, when the London club launched itself on the market and Edouard Mendy arrived. The Spaniard began to have a substitute role, he was only able to play one match against Krasnodar. But ended up becoming champion of the Champions League at the end of the season.
The second was with Real Madrid in the last one achieved by the Merengue team. On August 10, Courtois tore his cruciate ligament, meaning the capital club They went to the market and brought in Kepa on loan.
Kepa lifting the Champions League
He began as a starter, but an injury and his mistake against Atlético de Madrid in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup caused him to end up losing his position in front of Lunin. In addition, he closed the season being the third goalkeeper after the Belgian’s recovery. Although the ending was the same as in Chelsea, champion of championsafter playing four games in the group stage.
Tonight he can add his third European Cup to his record, with the same role with which he won the first two. He arrived at Arsenal last summer and established himself as the second goalkeeper. He managed to take the team to the final of the EFL Cupa competition he has contested regularly. Although his mistake in the final caused City to take the title.
In the Champions League, as with Chelsea, he has only played one game, against Kairat. The most likely thing is that David Raya will play the final today, but it could be that Kepa be a ‘talisman’ from the bench.
A club of two
That Kepa wins the Champions League tonight is not only memorable because of the amount, but also because of how he achieved them. There is only two footballers in history who have managed to become European champions with three different teams. And both have gone through LaLiga.
The first one to do it was Clarence Seedorf. The Dutchman scored his first with Ajax in ’95, when he was only 19 years old. But despite his age, He played all the matches of the edition. After a year at Sampdoria, in 1997 he signed for Real Madrid.
Seedorf with the Champions
In his debut year with the whites he won the Champions League. Although Also included in their record is the one they achieved against Valencia in 2000, since the midfielder played the first part of the season with Madrid, playing six games with the merengue shirt.
In 2002 he signed for Milan, from Inter, where he left after leaving Spain. With the ‘rossoneri’ he also won the Champions League in his first year. In addition, they also added to their showcase the one they won in 2007.
The second footballer to win the Champions League with three different clubs was Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian’s first was also with Real Madrid in 2000, which he tells him in his record after playing three games that year in European competition in the first half of the season.
Samuel Eto’o and Muntari after the final against Bayern in 2010
He won his next Champions League with the white club’s greatest rival, Barcelona. In 2006 they beat in the last match precisely one of the teams that are competing in the final today, Arsenal. The second was in 2009, against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United. Samuel Eto’o scored in both finals.
Despite winning the Champions League, Barça changed him for Ibrahimovic. However, with Inter he won the treble in 2010winning the Champions League at the Bernabéu, once again being the protagonist, this time, with an assist. And tonight, Kepa can be part of this club if Arsenal become Champions of the Champions League.
