Arsenal reached the Champions League final by beating Spanish giants Atletico Madrid but Wesley Sneijder was not impressed by the performance of one of the Gunners at the Emirates.
Wesley Sneijder has torn into Arsenal star Ben White despite the defender having helped the Gunners into the Champions League final. The North London side booked their spot in their first final since 2006 with a 2-1 aggregate victory against Atletico Madrid.
White, 28, started both legs of the semi-final and played the full 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium. Despite that, Sneijder still criticised the England man and claimed that compatriot Jurrien Timber should have been selected instead.
Speaking to Ziggo Sport, the former midfielder said: “You have Timber in your squad, and you think, ‘that’s a good full-back, he’s going to help me’.
“Then he drops out for a long time and then you have to fit in White… Timber wouldn’t even let him tie his shoelaces. Arteta cannot field two squads, other teams can. So I don’t think that is justified.
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“For years, you have had Liverpool and City in England that you have to compete against. They have much better players. And in Europe, there are many even better players. He [Arteta] is simply doing an impressive job with his team.”
Sneijder was also very critical at half time of Arsenal’s win against Atletico and claimed that UEFA needed to put an end to the game, with both sides struggling to produce an entertaining match.
He continued: “I said after 35 minutes that UEFA needs to intervene. They need to call London, ‘just get off the pitch, both of you, and the final will be played tomorrow’. We knew this was going to happen. Atletico in a block, dropping back, and Arsenal having a lot of possession.”
Despite his criticism, Sneijder was however full of praise for Arsenal boss Arteta - the Spaniard having masterminded a Champions League final spot, as well as a Premier League title challenge. “I can’t say it often enough, people, but he really deserves a statue already,” Sneijder said.
“With this team, it is so impressive to reach the final. Leaving all the other world-class teams behind you. I think that is very impressive.”
Arsenal will find out the side they will take on in the Champions League final on Wednesday evening. Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena, with the French side having won the first leg 5-4 at the Parc des Princes. Arsenal in the meantime have this weekend’s game against relegation-threatened West Ham to consider.