Arsenal's Champions League losers branded 'a bunch of clowns' as French World Cup winner savages the Gunners' 'inflated ego' & Mikel Arteta's game plan against PSG

Dugarry blasts unbearable tactics

Arsenal came up short against PSG in the 2026 Champions League final in Budapest,

Speaking on

Accusations of an inflated ego

The 1998 World Cup winner did not hold back in his

"They’re a bunch of clowns," Dugarry added. "They arrived with an inflated ego, with Arteta saying, 'We’re going to beat them'… I’m so glad Arsenal got the short end of the stick, and I hope that if they ever want to win it, they’ll start playing football. This isn’t Arsenal! This club has a history, they’re the Gunners, there’s a legacy, a style of football. They can’t play like that, it’s impossible."

Pundits question defensive mindset

It was not just Dugarry who was left bewildered by the conservative tactics employed by the Premier League winners. Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley also criticised the game plan via ESPN, pointing out how strange it was for a top team to abandon their progressive style after grabbing such an early advantage. "Let’s lay it out on the table, when they scored after six minutes, they tried to defend their way to the 90th minute," Burley noted. "Had it been PSG who scored after six minutes, they would have carried on attacking and probing and trying to win the game. And that’s the contrast in how these two teams approach, not only the final, but approach football."

What next for Arteta's men?

Arsenal must now dust themselves down and prepare for their upcoming pre-season tour. While