Renée Slegers Makes History with Champions League Win for Arsenal

LISBON, Portugal — Renée Slegers has made history by becoming the first Dutch coach to win the Women’s Champions League. Her team, Arsenal, defeated FC Barcelona 1-0 in the final held on Saturday.

Daphne van Domselaar, an Oranje international, returned just in time from injury to serve as Arsenal’s goalkeeper in the final and kept a clean sheet. The winning goal was scored by Swedish player Stine Blackstenius with just 15 minutes remaining in the match.

This victory is Arsenal’s first Champions League title since 2007. Van Domselaar was the only Dutch player on the pitch from the start, while Esmee Brugts came on for Barcelona in the closing minutes, and Victoria Pelova stayed on the bench for Arsenal.

Throughout the first half, Van Domselaar faced little action, managing to punch away a few crosses and remained alert for Barcelona’s counterattacks. Despite being favored to win, the Catalan club struggled to create significant chances.

Arsenal, labeled as underdogs before the match, emitted a strong performance. They threatened to score through dangerous crosses and even had a goal disallowed for offside.

With the teams heading into halftime at 0-0, Barcelona’s lack of scoring was disappointing. The team, finalist in five of the last six Champions League finals, struggled to meet expectations.

After the break, Barcelona increased their pressure, creating numerous scoring opportunities. A shot from Claudia Pino was blocked by Van Domselaar, while another chance struck the crossbar. However, the Catalans were unable to find the back of the net.

In football, an age-old saying holds true: when one team fails to score, another often does. That’s exactly what happened when Beth Mead’s clever play set up Blackstenius for the decisive goal.

Despite an effort from Brugts to help Barcelona level the score, they failed to find an equalizer. This victory marks the first Champions League title for the 36-year-old Slegers, placing her alongside renowned Dutch coaches Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard, who have also achieved this success in men’s football.