One of the most remarkable seasons in Arsenal’s history was their run to the 2006 Champions League final.
Despite having an incredible defensive record and making it to the championship game for the first time, Arsene Wenger’s team was ultimately defeated by Barcelona in Paris.Sol Campbell opened the score, but goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti in the second half made it 2-1 in the end.
The team included a mix of youthful, up-and-coming talent and seasoned internationals, many of whom went on to have lengthy and varied careers in Europe and beyond.
After leaving North London twenty years ago, the starting lineup and those who played off the bench have followed rather distinct paths.
Here, Daily Mail Sport examines the current status of Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League finalists, covering everything from coaching and commentary to business endeavors and personal hardships.
Despite having an incredible defensive record and making it to the finals for the first time, Arsene Wenger’s team was ultimately defeated by Barcelona in Paris.
Sol Campbell opened the score, but goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti in the second half made sure the result was 2-1.
After being sacrificed in the eighteenth minute of the 2006 Champions League final, Robert Pires (far right) informed Arsene Wenger that he was departing because he thought he was no longer in the manager’s plans.
The starting lineup for Arsenal is 4-4-2. May 17, 2006.
Germany’s GK Jens Lehmann
When Arsenal’s Invincibles made it to the Champions League final for the first time during his third season with the club, the German played a crucial role and broke the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in the competition (10).
He announced his retirement from the German team in June 2010 after relocating to Stuttgart a few years later. The next season, in the midst of a goalkeeping injury crisis at Arsenal, Lehmann made a comeback and played one more top division match against Blackpool before hanging up his boots at the end of the season.
He became a member of Hertha Berlin’s supervisory board in 2020, but he was fired a year later after sending a racist letter to Sky analyst Dennis Aogo. In addition to his current position as a commentator on German TV, he was a manager in the six-a-side Baller League.
Emmanuel Eboue, RB (Ivory Coast)
In 2011, Eboue left Arsenal to join Galatasaray, the reigning Turkish champions, where he played for three seasons filled with trophies. In 2016, he returned to England and signed a short-term contract with Sunderland. However, FIFA banned him for a year due to a disagreement with a former agent, and he was released without making an appearance just one month later.
He later talked about how he “lost everything in my life in England,” including his homes, cars, and money, after experiencing problems in his personal life, including a divorce from his wife Aurelie. This had a significant effect on his mental health, which he has subsequently discussed candidly to encourage transparency in the game and to advise new players to get financial counseling.
In January of last year, his estranged son Mathis enrolled in Chelsea’s academy. He made his senior matchday debut earlier this month when the Blues played Liverpool at Anfield.
Ivory Coast’s CB Kolo Toure
After making 326 appearances for Arsenal, Toure departed for Manchester City in 2009. His younger brother Yaya joined him a year later, and the two of them helped City win their first league championship in forty-four years in 2012. Following stints at Celtic and Liverpool, Toure retired in 2017 and entered the coaching profession almost immediately. He joined Brendan Rodgers’ team and eventually became assistant manager at Leicester in 2019.
He was fired after just nine games in his first senior managerial position at Wigan, which did not go well. He rejoined Manchester City’s academy in 2024 as an assistant coach for the under-18 squad, and a year later he was elevated to Pep Guardiola’s first-team staff. Following Guardiola’s departure, City confirmed earlier this week that he would be departing the team.
Following Guardiola’s departure, Man City confirmed earlier this week that Kolo Toure would be leaving the team.
England’s CB Sol Campbell
Campbell had a challenging last season at Arsenal due to injury problems and a decline in form, even if he scored in the championship game. He moved for Portsmouth in July 2006. He returned for a second time at Arsenal, making 11 games, following three years at Pompey and a brief stint at Notts County in 2009. He formally retired a year after his career at Newcastle came to an end in 2011.
In 2016, he made an effort to enter politics but was not selected as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London. After a brief stint with QPR, he was appointed assistant manager of Trinidad & Tobago in 2017. He subsequently held managerial positions at Southend and Macclesfield.
Since then, he has claimed that a lack of equitable chances caused him to abandon his pursuit of executive positions. After earning a degree in sport, media, and business from Harvard Business School, Campbell has discussed creating a “virtual coach” and utilizing AI-powered scouting and coaching systems around the world.
Ashley Cole, an LB from England
Cole’s connection with supporters soured after he controversially departed Arsenal for Chelsea in 2006. But he went on to have great success at Stamford Bridge, where he won the Champions League in 2012, four FA Cups, and another Premier League championship.
Cole has developed a coaching career with Chelsea’s academy, Everton, Birmingham, and England after retiring in 2019 following stints with Roma, LA Galaxy, and Derby County. He secured his first senior managerial position earlier this year with Serie B Italian team Cesena. He has been commended for strengthening the team despite almost missing out on the playoffs.
Cole secured his first senior managerial position earlier this year with Serie B Italian team Cesena.
Robert Pires, RM (France)
After Lehmann’s red card in the 18th minute of the Champions League final in 2006, Pires told Arsene Wenger he was departing because he felt he was no longer in the manager’s plans.
After playing for Villarreal and then Aston Villa, Pires concluded his career in 2015 with Goa in the Indian Super League. In 2016, he rejoined Arsenal as a coach under Wenger, but left the following year.
Since then, he has worked on Baller League initiatives and frequently provides commentary on Arsenal and the Premier League.
Brazil’s CM Gilberto Silva
Silva played for Panathinaikos in Greece after leaving Arsenal in 2008, where he won the league and cup. He then returned to Brazil to complete his career. After a brief stint at Atletico Mineiro, he retired in 2015. He has since served as an Arsenal ambassador, a FIFA ambassador, and a pundit.
Cesc Fabregas, CM (Spain)
Before joining Barcelona in 2011, Fabregas—one of the most significant players of Arsenal’s post-final era—became the team’s captain. Later, he went back to England to play for Chelsea, where he had an incredibly successful career that includes two Premier League crowns, an FA Cup, and a Europa League trophy.
Before completing his career in Como in Italy, he played for Monaco. Later in 2023, after retiring, he was appointed head coach. He led them to promotion and, earlier this week, their first Champions League qualifier.
Cesc Fabregas, who retired in 2023, took over as head coach later that year, leading them to promotion and, earlier this week, their first-ever Champions League qualification.
Belarusian LM Alexander Hleb
After leaving Arsenal in 2008, Hleb had a nomadic career that included 14 movements from north London, including stints at Wolfsburg, Barcelona, and Birmingham City. He became a member of the executive committee of the Belarusian Football Federation after retiring in 2019.
Sweden’s CF Freddie Ljungberg
Before retiring in 2014, Ljungberg played for West Ham, Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire, Celtic, and Shimizu S-Pulse after leaving Arsenal in 2007.
In 2016, he rejoined Arsenal as a coach, eventually working as Mikel Arteta’s and Unai Emery’s assistant. He has abandoned full-time coaching since departing in 2020 to concentrate on minor football ventures and sporadic media work.
France’s CF Thierry Henry (c)
Before retiring in 2014, Henry—possibly Arsenal’s most recognizable player of the modern era—played for Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls, and briefly returned to Arsenal on loan.
Before holding managing positions at Monaco and CF Montreal, he transitioned into coaching, working with Belgium’s national team and Arsenal’s development teams. In more recent times, he led France’s youth teams to a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Henry recently joined FOX Sports as a lead commentator for the forthcoming World Cup, although his primary job presently is as a pundit for CBS Sports.
He did lift the renowned “Big Ears” with Barcelona in 2009, defeating Man United 2-0 in Rome, despite missing out on the Champions League with the Gunners.
Three years later, he lifted the renowned “Big Ears” with Barcelona, defeating Man United 2-0 in Rome, despite missing out on the Champions League with the Gunners.
Alternatives:
Due to a cardiac issue, GK Manuel Almunia (Spain) withdrew from football in 2014 and has largely avoided the public eye.
DF Philippe Senderos (Switzerland) is a youth talent scout for FIFA under Arsene Wenger.
SM Caen, a French third-tier team, is presently coached by DF Gael Clichy.
MF Mathieu Flamini, a Frenchman, co-founded a biochemical business with an emphasis on renewable energy and went on to become a very successful businessman. Flamini’s net worth has increased to £10 billion, according to Forbes.
At the age of 35, FW Jose Antonio Reyes (Spain) unfortunately perished in an automobile accident in 2019.
After retiring, FW Robin van Persie from the Netherlands became a coach and is presently the manager of Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.
