Arsenal's 2006 Champions League final XI: Where are they now?

Arsenal will contest just their second ever Champions League final when they take on Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskás Aréna on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners are one of the biggest clubs never to have won Europe's premier prize, having had only one go at doing so, with that attempt coming in 2006.

Coincidentally, that final was played just north of Paris at the Stade de France and Arsène Wenger oversaw a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the national stadium with a swift turnaround by Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti breaking red and white (and yellow) hearts.

Now, 20 years on, Arsenal are ready to fight for the continental crown once again, but before that battle commences, let's take a look at where their starters from the 2006 final are now.

Arsenal's 2006 Champions League final XI: Where are they now?

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Jens Lehmann (GK) - Sent off after just 18 minutes for bringing Eto'o down just outside the box, his dismissal eventually proved to be key in his side's defeat. He remained at Arsenal for a further two seasons before departing for VfB Stuttgart ahead of a brief return to North London. Lehmann made a second comeback as a coach for the 2017/18 season, but left upon Unai Emery's arrival, but he has stayed true to his Gunners heritage as he currently manages N5 FC in the Baller League.

Emmanuel Eboué (RB) - Only 22-years-old when starting in the final, he stayed a Gunner for a further five campaigns, with his time eventually coming to an end with a move to Galatasaray. He went onto Sunderland from there, but failed to make an appearance. Failure to find a club from there led to his retirement.

Kolo Touré (CB) - Following the final defeat, he put pen to paper on a new contract at Arsenal and captained them on a number of occasions, but a feud with William Gallas led to his departure to Manchester City in 2009. He spent time at Liverpool and Celtic before retiring and managing Wigan Athletic. Touré was most recently part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at City, but followed the Spaniard in leaving the club.

Sol Campbell (CB) - Arsenal's sole goalscorer in a Champions League final, he left the club months after the defeat to join Portsmouth, who he captained to an FA Cup victory in 2008. Spells at Notts County and Newcastle United either side of a brief stint back with the Gunners led to his retirement in 2011. Campbell looked to dive into politics, but turned back to football by managing Macclesfield Town and Southend United.

Ashley Cole (LB) - A name that still leaves a sour taste, Cole departed his boyhood club for Chelsea after the final defeat and after enjoying success in West London, spent time with Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby County. He is currently working in his first managerial role at Cesena in Italy's Serie B.

Midfielders

Robert Pires (RM) - Sacrificed in what proved to be his final game for Arsenal following Lehmann's sending off, he joined Villarreal soon after the fall to Barcelona. Subsequent spells at Aston Villa and Goa in India preceded a move into coaching, which included a season with the Gunners and also working alongside Lehmann in the Baller League.

Gilberto Silva (CM) - Following the disappointment in the final, he was named club vice-captain and spent two more seasons in North London, enjoying a significant scoring spell in that time. A move to Panathinaikos was followed by a return to his home nation with Grêmio before joining Atlético Mineiro. He has had significant involvement in football charities since his retirement and has also worked as an ambassador for Arsenal and FIFA.

Cesc Fàbregas (CM) - He went onto become Gunners captain, but departed for boyhood club and final opponents Barcelona in 2011 before controversially returning to the Premier League with Chelsea three years later. The Spaniard then spent time with Monaco and Como before retiring to become manager of the latter and has just led I Lariani to Champions League qualification for the first time in their history.

Alexander Hleb (LM) - The Belarusian left Arsenal for Barcelona two years after the defeat in the final and bounced around plenty of clubs between his exit and his retirement in 2019. He has since spoken out about his regret leaving the Gunners.

Forwards

Freddie Ljungberg (SS) - After joining West Ham from Arsenal, the former Calvin Klein model enjoyed spells in the United States, Scotland, Japan and India before bringing the curtain down on his career in 2014, having previously done so two years earlier. He served as the Gunners' assistant coach under Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta while also working as interim manager inbetween the two, but has been inactive since leaving in 2020.

Thierry Henry (CF) - He only spent one more season with Arsenal before joining Barcelona in 2007, where he did win the Champions League in 2009 ahead of a move to New York Red Bulls. He shocked the Gunners with a brief loan return in 2012 before retiring two years later. He has worked as a manager and an assistant at both club and international level, most recently with France Under-21s and Olympic, but his primary focus is now his media career.

Manager

Arsène Wenger - He spent a further 12 years as Arsenal boss, but consistent decline prompted his departure with only three more FA Cups to his name since the final defeat. He is now FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, a role he has served since 2019.

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