Thanks to Thierry Henry, Arsenal's Champions League Campaign Isn't Over Yet

(Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

The semifinals of the Champions League are over.

We witnessed a lot of things, among them drama, tears, happiness, hope, and excitement. Some were disappointed, and others were delighted. Well, isn’t that what football is?

But it cannot be argued; it has already been decided. Rome is already waiting for the last two teams, who will fight it between themselves to determine who the next kings of Europe will be.

However, as an Arsenal fan, I cannot hide how very disappointed I was to see my team go out of the Champions League. Witnessing the performance of Arsenal, some thoughts even crept into my mind that they did not deserve to reach that phase of the tournament in the first place.

But I’m not going to write about yet another failed Arsenal mission.

Instead, I’m going to write about a part of Arsenal’s history, and hope. This can be amalgamated into one person, a fan of the club, ex-captain, and a great footballer—Thierry Henry.

Thierry Henry has declared more than once his love and respect for Arsenal FC, love and respect which are shared.

He has fought for the team for a whole eight years. He was always there to offer his invaluable advice to the young and developing players. He counseled them and guided the team through his leadership. He was trusted and respected by both the fans and the players, and still is.

Henry repaid that trust by scoring a staggering 174 goals in 254 matches for Arsenal—an achievement that has put him in the club’s history as the player that has scored the most goals for Arsenal.

He spent eight memorable seasons at the London club, and somewhere along that time he became a fan, like all those who came to watch him and his teammates every match. Henry demonstrated his love for the club on the field and outside of it with his behavior and his goals.

He remained a true “gentleman” footballer, always fair-minded and always competitive.

Then came the time when he had to rethink his life, his career, and to think about what was right for him. Who could have blamed him?

He left for Barcelona in 2007 after two years of heavy speculation linking him with the Catalan club. Nevertheless, he remained in the hearts of all Arsenal fans. What he had given the club simply couldn't have been neutralized so easily.

Henry left Arsenal because he saw in Barcelona his last chance to achieve his dream—win the Champions League title. Now, two years later, he has the chance to fulfill this dream of his. I doubt any fan of Arsenal would not want to see him lift this trophy.

Partly, it was what has kept him from being widely recognized as a legend of his time. It’s a fact that he has never won the “FIFA World Player of the Year” award. Undoubtedly, he has won it in the minds of all the football fans, not only Arsenal fans, but not for real.

This year, he will at last play in the final of the Champions League. It could be his last chance to win it. He will still remain one of the greatest footballers of all time whether he succeeds in doing that or not. This cannot be changed.

I, for one, though, would like to see him lift the cup. It would symbolize a lot. He could still teach the young Gunners something. It doesn’t matter that he could not to do it with Arsenal. Now when he is 31 he has one more chance to win it—and he deserves this chance.

It's a chance that the Gunners will have as well. Their time will come sooner or later. They should only follow Henry’s example and never stop believing...“better late than never.”

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