Vela doesn’t want Arsenal Champions League clash

The draw for the play-off round of the Champions League qualification stages will take place on 9th August. Arsenal are seeded for the draw along with the likes of AC Milan and Schalke.

One of the team’s that Arsenal could potentially face are Spanish club Real Sociedad. There are a couple of links between Arsenal and Sociedad. Firstly, it was the team Mikel Arteta supported as a boy, when he was growing up he and Xabi Alonso dreamt of playing in the same Real Sociedad team together. Arteta started his career at Barcelona, whilst Alonso signed for Sociedad.

In the summer of 2004, Arteta signed for Real Sociedad, with the idea of him and Xabi Alonso playing together in the midfield. However, Alonso moved to Liverpool later that summer, putting an end to those childhood dreams once again. Ironically, Arteta and Alonso were next door neighbours when Arteta signed for Everton in 2005.

The other link between Arsenal and Real Sociedad is that Carlos Vela now plays for the Spanish club, having been at Arsenal from 2005 until 2012. After a successful loan spell in 2011/12, Vela signed permanently for Sociedad last summer. There are rumours that Arsenal have a clause in Vela’s deal with Sociedad that could bring him back to the Emirates one day.

Speaking about the possibility of facing his former club in the play-off round of the Champions League, the Mexican said the following:

"“This is my home now, I don’t want to face Arsenal,”“Any other tie would be nice. I don’t want it to become too complicated.” – Carlos Vela on possibility facing Arsenal in a Champions League qualifier."

Carlos Vela doesn’t want to face Arsenal in the Champions League qualifying stages.