Villarreal's Robert Pires could only applaud Arsenal following his side's comprehensive defeat on Wednesday night.
"They can go far. This is a big team full of potential, speed, freshness and youth. What I hope is that they reach the final and win it," the former Arsenal winger was quoted as saying in Marca. "I'm still a fan of this team, who play the type of football that I love."
Pires, whose last appearance for Arsenal came in the 2006 final against Barca before he switched to Villarreal, was making his first trip to the Emirates Stadium and he was pleased with the reception he got.
"On a personal level it was very nice, incredible. I honestly didn't expect it. I know that players never forget their old teammates, but this has touched my heart," said the 35-year-old former France international, who spent six successful seasons at Arsenal.
"I've also discovered a very nice stadium that I didn't know before. Despite the defeat, all this will stay in my memory, it's been a nice experience."
* With agencies
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5