Renee Slegers says it’s special to win the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup because it underlines Arsenal’s position as champions of Europe.
The Gunners beat Corinthians 3-2 after extra time on Sunday to lift the trophy, having gained direct access to the competition’s semi-final as winners of last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“That’s why it’s a special trophy,” said head coach Slegers afterwards. “It’s what we achieved last year and also it puts us in the position to compete in this competition.
“So really proud, it was really nice and challenging to play against the champions from other continents, and of course I’m happy we won it.”
Captain Kim Little was named player of the match and second-half substitute Frida Maanum was named player of the tournament, adding to Arsenal’s joy on the night.
Renee Slegers: Corinthians were not easy for Arsenal
Slegers added that they had expected the difficult game they got from the South American champions – and that they knew it was going to be a trickier task than the semi-final against AS FAR.
“Very proud, in the semi-final we said we had to earn the right to play together in the final, and we did,” she went on. “It was a hard game and we knew it was going to be much more difficult, this one.
“Corinthians did really well against Gotham. They played with a lot of intensity, energy, passion and very high discipline defending their goal and that’s what they did tonight so it’s hard to break down.
“But of course, after the penalty [equaliser for Corinthians], 2-2 and it going to extra time, I’m just really proud with the different momentum shifts in the game and how we managed that, it wasn’t easy for us tonight, but we got the win.”
